Dark Jewel of the Heart
by Black Crystal34
Summary: With new friend Umani Rusuta and Koni are ready to take on the Chunin Ninja exams but with Krysta on a covert mission so seek out a spy ring Koni and Rusuta may just find that the true test isn't the exams themselves. Chapter 3 replaced, is correct now
1. Chapter 1

This story is mainly about Koni and Rusuta and continues on the Dark Jewel story but it does have appearances from Naruto and his friends along with Tsunade and Jarriya (though i'm afraid i can't spell his name right) I hope you all enjoy it!

BlackCrystal 34

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Decade of Dreaming**_

_**Time, it changes seeds to flowers, babies to adults, seasons pass like lightning as we all fail to appreciate our limited time. It forges memories of cheer and woe, turns the ever widening circle of life and helps a child understand the changes within themselves. Ten years ago Krysta, Jivana, Varundo and Kumico returned to the Hidden Leaf Village in the hope of beginning anew, for their time as rouges, murderers and wanted criminals had changed them too, none more so than the once hard hearted Krysta Monolo. Her ambition had changed from being a feared and ruthless killer, to being a just and loved ruler of an extinct race to now merely following her path as a Ninja, working for now for the Leaf Ninja but all the while remembering and actively promoting her Blood Creed heritage, and of course raising her one and only daughter, Rusuta. Krysta knew there would be no others to carry on the name Monolo but her, for the thought of another partner was a far distant inkling, though Krysta had learned to love, her past, reputation and power, as well as her unwavering pride prevented even would be suitors from her affection. Not since the fateful night of Rusuta's conception had Krysta felt attraction to any other man and had taken it in her stride, that her destiny was to continue the Monolo and Blood Creed name first, and to find love second.**_

_**Over the years Rusuta had become more cheerful and far less shy, her amazing Venom Blade, gift of the God Homaru, had given her great confidence and she and Koni had taken Ninja school together as if they were brother and sister, never far from the other's side as they learned to fight and use their powerful Chakra, whilst also trying not to outdo their classmates, well, too much. Now aged fifteen and sixteen the test to become Genin had been all too easy for the young Ninja but the transference to Chunin was a harder task. Rusuta's frightening looks had softened now, her eyes still filled strangers with tight fear but she now forever wore her hair in high pigtails to take away the full effect. Her little childish dresses were gone; she was now adorned in what her mother called the finest in Blood Creed battle attire. She wore black leggings and a shimmering red halter neck top, instead of trousers or a skirt an olive green cloth had been sewn onto the rim of the leggings and loosely wrapped around her, this meant the cloth would flail during movement as if they were a skirt but also seemed like delicate fins to the sides of her body, all of this made of fine blood infused silk adorned with snakes and stars and Yulikas. Despite the Leaf Ninja bandana on her head, Rusuta had not forgotten her lineage and would never call herself a leaf ninja, she was Blood Creed just as her mother was and she liked it that way.**_

_**Koni was still as cocky and carefree as ever, though he had grown strong in the training he preferred only to fight to protect Rusuta, most of the Ninja said to be of their level were much weaker than him and his Sen Blade, named after the process of Kunai infusion which would often give just one wooden sword over one hundred blades, had made him exceptionally respected. Koni also had the ravishing looks of his father Varundo, having never cut his hair his fiery blonde locks had overgrown and were almost to the floor, he held most of it above his head with the same red hair band he had worn all his life and he too had been draped in Blood Creed finery, though much simpler than Rusuta's. He wore tight yet manoeuvrable black trousers and a red cloth poncho like adornment embroidered also with the Yulikan symbols of the Creed. He had become quite toned and was very tall like his father, Rusuta would often watch as wherever he went Koni was bugged by girls of much younger ages all dying for him to talk to them. Too kind for his own good Koni often was overwhelmed by them and Rusuta knew it was time to step in and make them go away. Time had changed their appearances but not their friendship and many felt there was more to it than meets the eye, but Koni and Rusuta didn't care they were just friends, they'd always be friends.**_

_**As for the others of the household, great joy was had by all when Jivana gave birth to her own daughter not long after ensuring their safety in this ever changing village. Velia was nine now and whilst in training like her big brother she was not as seemingly powerful. Even now her rune, placed upon her back and structured as a star with curved lines seeming to depict wings, did not glow, it had never glowed and she found herself almost completely incapable of Ninjutsu of any kind because of it, however her physical speed and hand to hand combat skills were far too complex for her age. This gave Jivana hope that when her rune finally unlocked her Ninjutsu would be just as powerful. Velia had hair of a paler blue than her mother and wore it simply held back with a headband. She had a light blue fighting skirt and silver strap top, the two did sometimes feel like a dress and it too was embroidered with the Blood Creed symbol of the Plasma Star.**_

_**With all these changes within her world you would forgive Rusuta of forgetting the events leading up to the unlocking of her own rune and discovering her father was none other than the evil Orochimaru whose eyes seemed to be her eyes to remind her she was different from all other Ninja. Rusuta in youth had waited every night on the roof to catch a glimpse of him coming back for her like he'd promised until finally she hit puberty and with her body's hormonal changes she gave up hope and began to feel that he was forever to remain a memory. However she loved one special night every year, a night when she would again sit on the roof and wait and call and hope, she could remember the date of her whips creation, and that date was the anniversary of finally knowing who she was. She wished that if only on that night he would come back. She never told her mother of her dreams but all the same Krysta would watch her as she waited, she felt great sadness that she could not give her daughter her only true wish but she knew Rusuta understood that Orochimaru did not love her, he did not care about his long lost daughter and she lived on in confidence he would never darken their doorstep again.**_

"_**Catch me Koni!" Rusuta called jumping into a tree, she was almost cat like in her dexterity, her blade dancing had improved so much than when she and her mother sparred she could find new moves to unsettle Krysta, however she was yet to win.**_

"_**Get down here Rusuta, we have to go see Yumo Sensei, he said he's found us another partner," grumbled Koni unmoved by her games.**_

"_**What's the point, we only need each other, they should let us take the Chunin exam just the two of us," she smiled leaning back and laying on the branch.**_

"_**You know they can't do that, we have to apply in teams of three, at the moment we number two, again," he sighed. This had been the reason they were yet to advance, Rusuta and Koni had had many third members, but strangely no matter how simple or safe the mission every single one had run into monstrous bad luck and been injured or simply frightened into a transfer. Once all they had been doing was gathering fruits for an elderly lady and their rather food loving third member ate a poisonous plant mistaking it for a herb. It was never Rusuta and Koni's fault but their reputation was meaning finding new partners was as hard as keeping them in the first place.**_

"_**I'm not coming down unless you make me," she giggled jumping higher. Koni laughed and jumped up following her.**_

"_**Get back here!" he called chasing her all over the tree. Finally they ended up on the same branch, Rusuta at one end and Koni at the other.**_

"_**No where to go Rusuta!" he smiled coming forward, they heard a crunch.**_

"_**Well there is one way…" gulped Rusuta as the branch broke and they fell breaking several more branches on the way. When they landed it was in a pile of leaves and sticks, they sat up and laughed happily, it was such fun.**_

"_**Here I am with another partner for you and you're both acting like children," they heard someone say, Koni looked up and a stern looking man in a Sensei uniform with a scarred shut eye and black red and blonde spiky hair was looking down on them.**_

"_**Yumo Sensei," they said standing up and brushing themselves off. Yumo looked up at the broken tree branches and his leaf covered students and then turned to another boy behind him.**_

"_**Well let's hope you've missed the bad luck meant for you Umani," he smiled. Rusuta looked behind Yumo and saw a tall thin boy about her age, he was wearing a black top with holes cut in the sleeves and dark blue trousers, he had a Leaf Village bandana too and he was using it to try and keep his long black hair out of his eyes. The boy looked at her and smiled kindly, his eyes were also blue and quite soft seeming, he didn't seem afraid of her at all, Rusuta blushed slightly.**_

"_**Umani Yuchi, this is Rusuta Monolo and Konimashi Tsomuso, they will be your partners from now on, guy's please, look after this one," said Yumo seeming to plead with them. Umani walked over to them and said hi, then he took Rusuta's hand and placed the back of it to his forehead.**_

"_**It is a pleasure to meet you Rusuta," he said respectfully. Rusuta looked stunned she had no idea what he was doing and Koni shove him away.**_

"_**Hey, hands off!" he yelled.**_

"_**Forgive me, I am not used to this village yet, though born here my family has lived far away for most of my life, in my old village it was simply good manners to place the hand of a maiden to the forehead, as a sign of memory, as if to say, I will never forget this moment of meeting, I did not mean to cause offence," he explained. Koni looked a little embarrassed but Rusuta covered for him.**_

"_**Sorry I'm just amazingly shy, I've never seen that happen before," she said giggling a little, "so what do I do to return the favour?"**_

"_**You kiss me," he smiled Rusuta and Koni backed away and Umani laughed, "I'm kidding, it's only for men towards women, it is accepted that the women never forget the moment and judging by you, you defiantly won't."**_

"_**Well I think you have that right," smiled Rusuta.**_

"_**If you can fight as well as you can scare us you'll be great," smile Koni.**_

"_**Oh I can fight, don't worry about that," Umani replied, "what did he mean by bad luck being meant for me?"**_

"_**Um well, we haven't exactly had much luck in teams of three, Koni and I have lived together all out lives so we make a good team but for some reason all our third members have gotten into difficulties," sighed Rusuta.**_

"_**Don't worry I'm hard to scare, I have a feeling we'll be working together for a long time yet," Umani told them.**_

"_**Well your confident at least, welcome to the team," smiled Koni.**_

"_**Thanks," he smiled. Suddenly he heard leaves rustle as Rusuta jumped back into the tree.**_

"_**Now I have two people to catch me!" laughed Rusuta lumping to another and bounding away.**_

"_**Come on Umani," smiled Koni going after her, Umani looked confused but then he followed too.**_

_**That night the three were sitting in the garden of Rusuta and Koni's home getting to know each other when Krysta found them.**_

"_**Who's this Rusuta?" she asked appearing.**_

"_**Oh, mother," she replied standing, "this is Umani, our new partner."**_

"_**Oh yes, like the others?" she smiled jokingly.**_

"_**Well," giggled Rusuta. Umani came over with Koni, Koni had to stop him trying to take Krysta's hand like he had Rusuta's.**_

"_**Well you look stronger than the others," said Krysta.**_

"_**I look forward to our first mission," he replied in the same tone as before.**_

"_**Well I wish you luck, I'll see you inside Rusuta," replied Krysta going inside.**_

"_**She's nice, she's your mother?" asked Umani.**_

"_**Yeah, she's the best," smiled Rusuta.**_

"_**Sorry Umani but the hand thing, well Krysta would have probably ripped it off or something," smiled Koni, Umani looked confused.**_

"_**Mother's a little wary of strangers, she's not as scary as she used to be," said Rusuta nervously.**_

"_**I'm sure I'll fit in sooner or later, I must go, maybe next time I can meet your father too," he said leaving.**_

"_**Rusuta," said Koni worried.**_

"_**It's ok, he's not to know," she sighed going inside.**_

"_**Well, he seemed nice," said Krysta seeing her daughter come inside.**_

"_**He's nothing special, I hope we don't mess up another team, I know I must be embarrassing you taking so long to become a Chunin when you were one long before my age," said Rusuta sitting with her mother.**_

"_**You're not an embarrassment Rusuta, I was lucky with my team and we were strong, you and Koni are strong but no one else cuts it, can you blame them, they are Leaf Ninja," snubbed Krysta.**_

"_**Can't Velia be our third member, then at least we'd all be the same," said Rusuta.**_

"_**Velia's too young and long behind both you and Koni in her strength, Jivana and I have tried everything but unlike your rune which we could not control Velia's seems fully unable to enact," replied Krysta.**_

"_**I can't believe I actually wanted to be like that once, must be harder than not knowing how to control yourself," sighed Rusuta.**_

"_**Velia will unlock her power one day, it's Jivana's mission to help her and she will," smiled Krysta.**_

"_**Big brother!" they heard Velia cry as Koni stepped into the room, she ran up and hugged him and he picked her up gently.**_

"_**Velia watch out, you know you kick like a deer," laughed Koni.**_

"_**Well looks like someone's happy to see you," smiled Jivana coming in.**_

"_**Hi mom," he said putting Velia down.**_

"_**So do you guys want to eat or have I made all this food for nothing," she smiled.**_

"_**Your cooking's the best mom!" he smiled happily.**_

"_**Mother?" asked Rusuta.**_

"_**It's ok, I grabbed a bite earlier," she smiled winking.**_

_**Later that night Rusuta was washing her face in the bathroom when she suddenly felt her stomach wrench.**_

"_**No, not again," she struggled before throwing up and curling into a little ball, "every night, the same thing, I don't even feel ill, what's wrong with me." Since her fifteenth birthday Rusuta had been constantly throwing up after almost every meal, she could only seem to keep liquids down so was surviving on training protein drinks, they tasted terrible but she'd faint if she didn't eat something. Krysta and the others didn't know about it and thankfully she hadn't lost any substantial weight. After a while she was able to stand again and ready herself for bed. She looked in the mirror and took out her pig tails, she hated to look at the face in the mirror when she felt like this.**_

"_**Is this your fault father? Is this why you've never come back? Am I just too weak for you, or do I have some sort of horrid disease?" she sighed looking at her eyes. She left the bathroom then and went to her room and looked out of the window.**_

"_**Homaru, what's wrong with me, can you tell?" she said quietly.**_

"_**Your body is the same as always, this isn't an illness, Rusuta it's almost like your body is getting rid of some sort of toxin, something that it doesn't like and so you become sick to get whatever it is out of you," she heard her guardian say.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Hidden Power**_

_**The next morning Rusuta woke to the sound of a small flute, it was barely dawn but when she looked outside she could see Umani, he was playing a small wooden flute that was painted a grey silver colour. He stopped for a moment and looked up to her window, Rusuta grabbed her hair and held it up still wary of her appearance. He waved good morning and started to play again before gesturing her down. Rusuta quickly dressed before jumping into her nearby tree and joining him.**_

"_**Your music, it's amazing," she smiled.**_

"_**I've been able to play since I was a child, it's such a nice morning, cool and misty, perfect for training," he told her.**_

"_**You want to train, with me," she almost squeaked.**_

"_**We are teammates after all," he smiled winking at her. Rusuta smiled nervously and nodded in agreement, then he took her hand again.**_

"_**Come on then," he said leading her away into the mists. Later Koni woke up and went downstairs, he was surprised Rusuta wasn't there, she always woke up earlier than him.**_

"_**Dad have you seen Rusuta?" he asked Varundo who was helping to dress Velia.**_

"_**No, maybe she's not awake?" he replied.**_

"_**That's not like her," sighed Koni, "we're going to be late for Yumo Sensei, no telling he'll want to teach the three of us some new moves before the Chunin exams come round."**_

"_**Oh yes Jivana told me about your new partner, work him hard son," smiled Varundo standing up with Velia on his shoulders.**_

"_**I think she went after the pretty bird this morning," smiled Velia happily.**_

"_**Pretty bird?" asked Koni.**_

"_**Yeah this bird's singing woke me up this morning, it was so lovely, then I heard Rusuta jump into a tree, she must have gone after it, I wonder if she caught it," giggled Velia. Koni ran back upstairs and much like his sister had said Rusuta was gone, he looked outside and could see where she'd broken a few branches on the way down and then two sets of footprints. Koni jumped out of the window and followed them.**_

_**Umani and Rusuta were on a hill near the Ninja school sparring with each other, Umani had revealed that his weapon or rather weapons of choice were a set of slightly larger than normal shurukin with which he was able cut through the air and create sharp sonic slashes of cold wind. Rusuta was showing off her Venom Blade with masterful control, not only had her dance training made it look like she was dancing but she had further enhanced it to make it seem as though the blade itself was dancing and writhing and almost alive. In one amazingly athletic move Rusuta had Umani all tied up in her whip but she held it looser than normal as it was only training.**_

"_**This was amazing Umani, but I've won now so, maybe we should go find Koni," she smiled triumphantly.**_

"_**I'm not beaten yet," Umani smiled cockily suddenly turning grey and disappearing in a fine smoke, Rusuta's whip fell limp, he wasn't there anymore. Suddenly she felt herself grabbed from behind and held round her neck and waist.**_

"_**Wow, you can turn into air too, where did you learn that!" she cried amazed.**_

"_**It's a simple move in my village, it's good for getting the upper hand on an opponent," he smiled, "now, what was that you said about giving up?" Rusuta laughed and her rune started to enact, suddenly Umani couldn't hold his grip on her and she escaped his hold, her skin shimmered a little as if she were wet.**_

"_**I call that my Snake Skin Jutsu, my rune sheds the top layer of my skin and my next layer takes on the form I wish it too, be that sandpaper rough, or oily smooth to get out of enemy holds," she smiled happily bracing with her whip again.**_

"_**Looks like we're both quite even" said Umani taking out a few more shurukin.**_

_**Then Koni arrived, he was out of breath and a little annoyed Rusuta was training without him.**_

"_**Next time, wake me up," he panted.**_

"_**Koni, hello," said Umani.**_

"_**You should see Umani fight Koni, he's just as amazing as we are, he can turn into thin air," she told him excited.**_

"_**Ah well, that's no way as amazing as being able to change the structure and constitution of your skin," he replied modestly.**_

"_**Really, well check out this!" smiled Koni drawing his wooden sword, Umani looked interested, and then Koni revealed a handful of kunai, one for each finger.**_

"_**Sen Blade Jutsu!" he cried placing the blades to the sword. Suddenly his rune flashed and the wooden sword became coated in metal and several sharp blades pointed out of it. Koni jumped into the air and attacked Umani but Umani merely dodged before showing that he too had a similar Jutsu to Koni. He took five of his shurukin and they joined together to form a spiked ball on a chain, it was light to wield but piercing to human and in most cases animal flesh, however it was not effective against any metal or thick wooden armour.**_

"_**Hmm I'm impressed," smiled Koni slashing at him again but missing, Umani's chain wrapped itself around the thinnest blade of the sword and pulled it from Koni's hands sending Koni flying over him. Umani then span the ball and chain and whipped up a blast of wind that sent Koni straight up in the air.**_

"_**He's really good, we might just have a chance at the exams," smiled Rusuta.**_

_**As Koni fell back to earth he twisted his body and stretched out an arm so that he would land fist first on Umani, Umani looked like he would just dodge so Koni used a new move he's been perfecting with Varundo.**_

"_**Rock Fist Jutsu!" cried Koni holding his fist with his left hand and then sweeping up his arm with that hand. Where his hand touched his skin turned to dense stone something Umani wasn't expecting which cause Koni to be able to land the hit and knock Umani to the ground hard.**_

"_**Yay Koni, that's amazing!" cried Rusuta happily as Umani got up.**_

"_**You're both really powerful, I'm defiantly behind you," he said.**_

"_**Don't be silly, only my dad gives me a work out like that one," smiled Koni modestly.**_

"_**You have some amazing Jutsu Umani, the three of us will be a great team," smiled Rusuta.**_

"_**I hope so, it would be such an honour for my parents," he told them.**_

"_**Oh yeah, where are they I'd love to meet them," smiled Rusuta.**_

"_**I'm afraid they died on the journey here," he replied bluntly. Koni and Rusuta looked at each other worried.**_

"_**You mean you're an orphan?" said Koni.**_

"_**Yes, but they told me to go to the Leaf Village and be a strong Ninja, find a strong team and make it the best in all the world, I truly think I can do that here," replied Umani seeming like he wasn't sad about it.**_

"_**You know, it's ok Umani, I don't have a father," said Rusuta, Koni looked at her puzzled.**_

"_**Then I am sorry for mentioning wanting to meet him," said Umani respectively.**_

"_**You weren't to know, I was told he was dead my whole life, then well, I kinda accidentally found him, but he doesn't love mother and me, so I have no father," she told him trying not to seem sad either.**_

"_**Then, one day I hope he realises his mistake," said Umani smiling at her.**_

_**The three walked into the main market looking for something to eat, a girl with pink hair met them there, it was Sakura.**_

"_**Rusuta hello," she smiled kindly.**_

"_**Hi Sakura," smiled Rusuta. Sakura hadn't changed much, she'd grown up and her hair was a little longer now but other than that both she and Naruto had remained very much the same.**_

"_**Who's this?" she asked.**_

"_**This is Umani, he's our new partner," said Koni, Umani came over and took Sakura's hand placing it to his forehead like Rusuta's. Sakura was just as astonished as Rusuta had been.**_

"_**A pleasure to meet you Miss Sakura," said Umani.**_

"_**Umm, hello," she replied nervously.**_

"_**Don't worry Sakura, it's just a greeting," giggled Rusuta.**_

"_**A ha," she said and Umani let her go, "so does this mean you guys are actually going to make it to the Chunin exams this year?"**_

"_**Yep, and we'll beet the other teams too!" cheered Rusuta.**_

"_**You're confident," Sakura giggled.**_

"_**We have to be, we are one of the oldest teems," said Koni.**_

"_**You'll all do fine I'm sure, you guys kinda remind me of our little group back when we were Chunin," smiled Sakura.**_

"_**I wonder which one of us is Naruto," Rusuta giggled to Koni.**_

"_**Me?" he said worried and Sakura giggled.**_

"_**Well you have his aspiration if nothing else, but I meant more of your structure than personality," she told them.**_

"_**That is a good question, what is our structure?" asked Umani.**_

"_**Well my mother used to lead her team and Varundo and Jivana were her support, but I'm not exactly leader potential so you and I support Koni, he's so much stronger than me," said Rusuta.**_

"_**Ah Rusuta, still as modest as ever, Krysta was never like that," smiled Sakura.**_

"_**So then you are the leader Koni?" asked Umani.**_

"_**Well I don't tend to take the word to heart, Rusuta and I are such a great partnership we've been told we sometimes fight like one person, so I'm not really a leader, we'd be best fighting as one," said Koni.**_

"_**I see," said Umani.**_

"_**It's great you two are still so close, I may be helping Kakashi Sensei a lot with his teaching young groups but Naruto's always training to get stronger with Jarriya, but at least he's still in the village," sighed Sakura.**_

"_**You mean there's still no word of Sasuke since he disappeared," said Rusuta worried.**_

"_**No nothing, it's almost like Kakashi and the others don't care anymore, he's been gone so long, I wish I could go find him, but I don't have the strength to go myself, I'm better as a teacher," she said trying to cheer up leaving them.**_

"_**Four years, poor Sakura," sighed Koni.**_

"_**I still can't understand why he disappeared, it's not like Sasuke could be kidnapped," said Rusuta.**_

"_**Who is this Sasuke?" asked Umani. Rusuta told him about her family's past and how Sasuke was quite a central part of it all, from saving her mother's life as a child to the hatred she had for him, then how he'd helped save her from Orochimaru and how Rusuta had promised she'd show him that her family weren't monsters.**_

"_**So this Sasuke is quite important to you?" asked Umani.**_

"_**Not really, I'm grateful for him helping me save my mother but I hate how he treats my family, I just wanted to prove him wrong, now I may never have that chance," she replied huffing a little.**_

"_**Family honour is a great thing," smiled Umani. Sasuke had disappeared in rather unusual circumstances, it was foggy the night he'd left and unusually ice cold for their temperate climate. In the days running up he had seemed distracted and colder than normal. No one witnessed his disappearance but news travelled quick and a huge search team was dispatched. Some trees in the forest showed signs of a struggle and fibres of blue cloth were found but there had been no sign of him ever since. His official status was simply that he was missing, however Krysta herself felt that was a cover up so others were keen to see the truth too.**_

_**In the end the three met up with Yumo and he trained them for a few hours, he was impressed at how they gelled, they seemed to be making a very good team and were able to combo well, with the new wave of exams drawing close he was glad he did not seem to have to urge them to work together. That evening Rusuta walked home past the area where the younger children were trained, they all seemed happy as they met their parents to go home, she sat on a rock and sighed watching them, remembering her childhood.**_

"_**You envy them don't you," she heard Umani say, he'd followed her.**_

"_**What do you mean?" she asked startled.**_

"_**The way they smile and cheer and hug their loving parents, these children all seem to have stable homes, both parents to love them, it's been peaceful so long that the numbers of children from broken homes has fallen a lot," he told her.**_

"_**They're lucky is all," she said confused.**_

"_**I don't have parents, but I did all my life so it doesn't matter so much that they're gone now, I still have memories and times when we fought and trained together. Rusuta, you don't, you just have your mother and even though you said you know and therefore don't care your father doesn't love you, I know that you're hiding how you really feel. You wish he could have watched you grow up, you wish that he'd have loved you enough to keep his promise, you look at these kids and not understand how they all have dad's that love them, when yours does not," he explained she sighed again.**_

"_**It's ok, I'm over my father, I am really, there's just some things I can't forget, things I can't change, he disowned me, but I can't disown him, I can't disown my face," she said running off. Umani stood by the rock and smiled, it was clear he was different from Koni and Rusuta but as he turned away from the area and walked off into the shadows of the enclosing night, it had to be contemplated, just how different was he?**_

_**Rusuta sat in her garden long into the night, eventually Krysta came out to find her, she was a little worried, Rusuta hadn't eaten.**_

"_**What's wrong Rusuta?" she asked sitting with her.**_

"_**Nothing mother, really," she replied defensively.**_

"_**Rusuta I know when you're upset. You haven't eaten and you love to eat, there has to be something up," Krysta replied firmly.**_

"_**I'm just tired, I've had a hard day training and all," she replied.**_

"_**Rusuta," said Krysta quietly and Rusuta could tell she knew she was lying.**_

"_**I thought you'd stopped thinking about it all, you've been so happy lately," said Krysta.**_

"_**How can I stop thinking about him mother, even if I cut off all my hair, I still have his eyes. He promised to come back, sometimes I wish I had never met him after all, no matter how much I wanted a dad," she said sadly.**_

"_**You were just a kid, I did what I thought was right and never told you, what happened was not your fault, you came to save us, you had no idea your father was the man holding me captive. Rusuta this has been hard on both of us, I guess I never realised just how much it has weighted your heart," she told her daughter comfortingly.**_

"_**I shouldn't feel like this, I should be happy with Koni and Umani, they're my friends, I shouldn't need him," she said frustrated.**_

"_**You don't need him Rusuta, you're old enough not to need me anymore, soon it will be time for you and Koni to train as adults and barely ever see me or Jivana and Varundo. Tsunade will be grateful of a second strong team, she sends us out on the same kind of suicide missions the Hokagi that lived here when I was your age did, only Tsunade knows we will return and she hopes we will. It's a new village now, people care about us and though I am still this village's most feared ninja, I know that there are those who care about my welfare. They care about you too, this is your home always Rusuta, remember that," smiled Krysta going inside out of the cold.**_

_**Rusuta looked up to the stars and started to sing. Ever since she had met her father she had heard a lullaby in her dreams, it was a sweet song full of hope. It's words were as if they were someone telling a small child not to be afraid of the dark, the catch was the whole thing was in Yulikan. Somehow Rusuta understood the words and it helped her be calm and happy, she felt it meant that she would see her father again and that he would love her after all. Koni watched her from the door with his sister, Rusuta looked very lonely but he liked her singing and didn't want to disturb her.**_

"_**You can't be serious!" cried Koni the next day when Yumo came to the door.**_

"_**The Chunin Exams begin within the week!" cried Rusuta.**_

"_**Do you even think we're ready?" said Koni.**_

"_**You're going to have to be, I'm not running the risk of something happening to Umani before you get the chance," laughed Yumo.**_

"_**Yumo Sensei this is serious," sighed Rusuta.**_

"_**We'll do fine," smiled Umani appearing.**_

"_**Umani," said Rusuta.**_

"_**That's what I like to hear! Confidence!" smiled Yumo.**_

"_**So what do we have to do?" asked Koni.**_

"_**I don't have any doubt you three will find the written section a breeze, then Tsunade's going to send you on a really tough mission in the forests, she says she's been cooking up a really special one, after that it's an individual evaluation, you guys play your cards right you could end up fighting each other in the final rounds," explained Yumo.**_

"_**Then how do we all become Chunin if we beat each other?" asked Rusuta.**_

"_**It won't matter they're looking at how you fight, not if you win," smiled Krysta appearing with Varundo and Jivana.**_

"_**Mother," said Rusuta.**_

"_**Koni, can you take care of Velia? We have a new mission," said Jivana.**_

"_**Yeah sure mom, but I have to train though," said Koni.**_

"_**Take Velia with you," smiled Varundo.**_

"_**Where are you going?" asked Rusuta.**_

"_**Sorry Rusuta, this one's top secret, I can't tell you," replied Krysta seriously, Rusuta nodded.**_

_**The three waved goodbye to their children and walked down the path, once they were out of sight Jivana giggled,**_

"_**Can you imagine the look on their faces when they find out?"**_

"_**They're certainly not suspecting it," smiled Varundo.**_

"_**I wonder what Tsunade's planning asking us to be fake enemies for the exams," said Krysta suspiciously.**_

"_**We just have to not hurt them too much, I wonder if Tsunade minds you feeding on them?" wondered Jivana.**_

"_**She's not going to have much choice, don't worry I don't intend to kill any, but I am going to have to survive while we lie in wait for nearly a week," said Krysta.**_

"_**A trip to the butcher then?" offered Varundo and the two women nodded.**_

"_**I guess Mother's going to be away for a while this time, this mission seemed a big deal," sighed Rusuta watching on a hill with Velia as Umani and Koni trained together.**_

"_**That's ok, we've just got to concentrate on the exams, maybe when they get back we'll have passed," smiled Koni.**_

"_**I like it when mum and dad are away, I can have loads of fun and they never know," cheered Velia sitting with Rusuta.**_

"_**It's silly but I still miss mother when she's away," smiled Rusuta laying back on the grass and looking at the sun. She closed her eyes for a moment but when she opened them again she was in her room.**_

"_**What?" she said sitting up startled, outside her room it was raining heavily and everything looked grey. Rusuta went out of her door and into the house, there was no one around and parts of the house looked caved in and neglected.**_

"_**What happened?" she worried looking around for her family.**_

"_**Mother! Koni! Uncle!" she cried running frantically through the house,**_

"_**Velia? Jivana! Varundo!" she went outside into the rain and still there was no one around.**_

"_**What's going on, what happened to everyone," she said frightened, then she looked towards where the village would be near their house and all she saw was rubble and dust, there was no one here, it was as if a great storm had destroyed the whole village and she was the only survivor.**_

"_**Mother! Koni!" Rusuta screamed running through the streets, "Where are you, where are you!"**_

"_**Rusuta?" she heard a voice.**_

"_**Who's there!" she cried out before opening her eyes again and found herself being shaken awake by Koni.**_

"_**Rusuta, are you ok?" he worried she held onto him tightly.**_

"_**Koni!" she sobbed, "I was all alone, the house, the village, everything, everyone gone, I was so afraid!" **_

"_**It's ok, it was just a dream, Rusuta you look horribly pale," Koni tried to comfort her.**_

"_**Are you alright Rusuta? You were lying down and then you were shaking like you were sick," said Velia.**_

"_**Shaking?" wondered Rusuta.**_

"_**We should get her out of the sun, here drink this," said Umani giving her a flask of water, Koni helped her sit under a tree.**_

"_**I, it felt so real, so cold and close, I felt like I was suffocating," she stammered drinking, her hands started to shake again.**_

"_**We should tell Yumo Sensei," said Koni.**_

"_**No, no I'll be fine, I have to be, we have the exams," she said covering her deeply entrenched fear. Umani looked at her smiling confidently, Koni may have been blind to what was happening but he was not, he saw it all like a bright beacon, Rusuta was afraid of being left alone, her heart was beating very fast and her eyes were pale, he could see she was very afraid right now, very afraid. Rusuta soon recovered physically and they continued to train but that night Rusuta searched the whole house for signs of disrepair and made sure Velia was in her bed at least three times. Koni watched her as he ate, he was a little worried by her behaviour and decided he should ask Kumico.**_

"_**A vivid dream of being alone? It sounds like a harmless nightmare?" said Kumico.**_

"_**Haven't you seen her? She hasn't stopped moving since we came home, up and down the stairs in and out of every room, it's so frantic," said Koni.**_

"_**You say she saw our home and the village destroyed and no one around at all?" he asked.**_

"_**Yes, I was training with Umani when she started to cry out my name hysterically, she was lying on the grass shaking like she was sick, I woke her up and she lept at my like we hadn't seen each other in years. She cried as if she thought I was dead, I'm worried Kumico," explained Koni, Kumico sighed heavily.**_

"_**Koni I can not say if her dream is anything more than just that, but remember that Rusuta and her mother bare many strange and mystical powers that even normal Blood Creed do not posses. Keep an eye out for danger young one, Rusuta's grandmother could see so far into the future she foretold of her own death, Krysta is so powerful she can harness elemental energy to delve further into the past and any other mystic, even to see the beginnings of our kind. Rusuta has proven that the present seems to be her particular time frame for seeing events, perhaps what she saw was another village barren and empty," explained Kumico. Koni lifted his head and saw Rusuta leave and finally settle in the back garden. Rusuta lay back on the stones and breathed shallowly, whilst she had stopped shaking inside she was very unstable.**_

"_**Why, why would I dream that my home was gone and my mother too, all those images, burned into my memory, I dread to think if I shall ever sleep again," she sighed.**_

"_**I know why you're afraid and you shouldn't be," said Umani suddenly, Rusuta looked at him, how was it he could keep doing that?**_

"_**I'm not afraid," she said stubbornly.**_

"_**You shouldn't be, because it will never happen, you will always be as you are now, well if you stay here anyway," he told her.**_

"_**What do you mean?" she asked confused.**_

"_**Simply that, this place isn't good enough for you; if you stay here you'll just complete a few missions, teach a few ninja, and never really become anything, but you'll be safe. However out in the world you could become more powerful than your mother and make a name for yourself, only, you would have to face all of your fears at some point. Your soul is obviously at a restless stage, stay and be safe or go and fulfil your potential, you will have to make your choice," he told her taking out his flute and starting to play. Rusuta looked at him interested, the music was familiar to her and without thinking she started muttering words to it, he stopped and looked at her puzzledly.**_

"_**How can you know that song," she said shyly.**_

"_**It's a lullaby, I only know the tune," he said playing again, this time Rusuta joined in with the words.**_

"_**How do you know it?" he asked.**_

"_**I've heard it every night in my dreams for years," she told him shyly and he started to play again, Rusuta continued to join in and smile, she seemed happier. Koni watched them from the door, for some reason he glared harshly at Umani and could feel a hot burning inside him, Velia looked too.**_

"_**The pretty bird song," she said smiling. Koni looked down at her and then back to Rusuta and Umani, he felt something was wrong about their closeness, he didn't like it, but why, they were teammates this was a normal thing.**_

"_**Sister Rusuta really likes bird man, his song is so nice," giggled Velia. Koni sighed and went inside, sister Rusuta, that's how Velia saw her, they'd been friends for so long he guessed his little sister wasn't the only one mistaking them to be brother and sister.**_


	3. Chapter 3 correct chapter

_**Chapter 3**_

_**The Exams Begin**_

_**A few days later Rusuta, Koni and Umani went to the Ninja school with Yumo, there were lots of other younger looking ninja around from lots of other sects, it was time to start the exams and Yumo was giving his little team a pep talk to keep them focused.**_

"_**You three are the best I've ever trained, you can do it," he said in an arrogant voice.**_

"_**He's said that three times," whispered Koni.**_

"_**He must really be nervous," replied Rusuta.**_

"_**You holding up ok after the other day?" asked Koni.**_

"_**Yeah, I'm fine, I just want to do this before mother gets back, what a surprise it would be huh?" she smiled.**_

"_**Hardly, she probably fully expects you go rule this thing," smiled Umani joining in.**_

"_**So you guys ready!" cheered Yumo having finally finished his speech.**_

"_**Yes Yumo Sensei!" cheered the three teens happily. Suddenly the doors opened and all the groups could go inside, Rusuta and Koni stuck together with Umani following them to the exam room. It was a small room made of what looked like bamboo and thatch all the groups continued to stick together and barely mingle and then Rusuta spotted Sakura.**_

"_**Sakura," she smiled.**_

"_**Hi Rusuta, you guys actually made it this time," she smiled back.**_

"_**What you doing here?" asked Koni.**_

"_**Kakashi wanted me to invidulate," she sighed, "it's going to be so boring watching you guys sit in silence, won't be like my exams at all."**_

"_**What do you mean?" asked Umani.**_

"_**Sorry can't really say much other than that," she sighed again before seeing a rough looking man enter the room, he slammed a kendo stick onto and small table set up at the front of the room attracted the slightly shocked attention of everyone in the room before instructing them to take their seats. The set up was alphabetical so with names like Monolo, Tsomuso and Yuchi, Rusuta and her friends were sat very far apart. However a young man sat next to Umani locked eyes with the strange looking leaf ninja and the two smiled as if they knew each other.**_

"_**How's it going stranger," said the young man.**_

"_**I have no complaints," replied Umani.**_

"_**How do you think you can cope with the task?" he asked probingly.**_

"_**I'm not without confidence," smiled Umani and his companion smiled too.**_

"_**Then, I wish you luck," replied the young man before the rough ninja at the front of the room started yelling and making noise again.**_

"_**He's really flaky for a Sensei," thought Rusuta as other ninja started passing out blank pieces of paper and pencils.**_

"_**Alright there's some questions on these papers, I know they look blank but finding the questions is up to you, I couldn't be bothered to make them easy, you'll only be able to answer the questions if you can find the question completely. Your team's cumulative score is all that important so if you're a complete dunce let's hope the rest of your groups smart huh," he laughed.**_

"_**Weird kinda test?" though Koni glancing at the paper on the desk, it was completely white not even any evidence of tampering or watermarking.**_

"_**You have an hour and I don't want any noise, no talking no conferring, why do you think you're sat like you are, like we really wanted you to be able to ask your friends for help, the Ninja around you will make sure you're not cheating so I don't have to, well I think that's it, best get to it," he said sitting down and reclining on the chair putting his feet on the table. Sakura looked at him exasperated.**_

"_**What a drag, this guy hasn't got a clue."**_

_**Rusuta looked down at her papers but found exactly like Koni it was completely blank.**_

"_**Maybe it's like a trick question?" she thought before hearing the sounds of pencils moving around her, other people had seen the questions, there must be something.**_

"_**I don't get it, gee Yumo Sensei said nothing about disappearing questions," Koni thought glancing around. With his last name being Yuchi, Umani was right in one of the corners and Koni could see he'd already started without any trouble.**_

"_**Oh great, now I'm being shown up by that little punk," he grumbled under his breath placing his hand flat out on the paper, when he pealed it off the paper looked translucent and underneath he could see the other piece of paper and thought he saw letters. He lifted the first piece but the second was as blank as ever, he put the first back over and it had gone back to being solid, how strange. Rusuta stared and stared at the paper and started to really worry.**_

"_**I can't see anything, oh no, does this mean I'm going to fail, mother would kill me, there has to be something, there has to be," she panicked.**_

"_**Calm down," she heard a voice, she was startled for a moment but it was only Homaru.**_

"_**Homaru?" she thought so the others couldn't hear her conversation.**_

"_**You can do this Rusuta, it's just a simple vanishing Jutsu, they probably use it to hide covert material, it's a strong one I'll admit, there's no way any of these normal Genin will be able to break it," sneered Homaru.**_

"_**Then how can I?" wondered Rusuta.**_

"_**Look at your wrist, your panicking has enacted your rune like it always does; stay like this and the judges will notice, then you'll fail for sure," replied Homaru.**_

"_**Ok, I'll get a grip," she replied breathing trying to calm down.**_

"_**There's one thing you can do that these others can't, you can read Yulikas," he told her.**_

"_**The Blood Creed script? I've heard of it but I've never tried to read it?" replied Rusuta.**_

"_**No need to try, Alana and I can read it, and then I can tell you the questions and you can write the answers," he told her.**_

"_**But I don't want to cheat?" worried Rusuta.**_

"_**It's not, besides I won't give you the answers," she heard him laugh and Rusuta agreed to the plan.**_

"_**Ok, take your pencil and jab it into your left index finger, but do it subtly," he told her, Rusuta tried to hide her grimace of pain as she stabbed herself with the pencil, in a moment it bled and one of the drops hit the paper, before her eyes hundreds of red symbols appeared but they disappeared soon after.**_

"_**What was that?" she wondered worried others had seen.**_

"_**Don't worry that's just the energy from your blood lighting up the words on the paper, no one else can see it because they're not Blood Creed," comforted Homaru, "now take your bleeding finger and place it in the bottom left corner of the paper, this way the symbols won't disappear, I'll try to decipher them quick, otherwise you'll fall faint from blood loss." She heard Homaru laugh but when she put her finger to the paper she could see the symbols again and could finally start the exam.**_

"_**I hope I have enough time," she sighed listening to Homaru's translations.**_

"_**Now Rusuta's started, what am I going to do," worried Koni who still hadn't figured it out. He was starting to sweat a lot sitting in that warm room worried about the exam, there were others in the same boat but not many now. He held onto the paper again and his sweat turned the paper translucent again.**_

"_**Stupid paper, no better than tissue," he grumbled putting it down, this time he could really see the letters underneath.**_

"_**The, the questions, you're kidding a little sweat and they show up like neon lights? What kind of test is this?" wondered Koni amazed.**_

"_**Hey oh I uh fell asleep, uh fifteen minuets you got it?" the ninja heard the man at the front say.**_

"_**Guess I have no choice but to rush this, I hope the others do ok too, I'll look like a dope to Rusuta if I can't get at least one of these right," he worried speeding through what he could see and then hurriedly looking for more.**_

_**Fifteen minuets later the man at the front stood up and banged his hands on the table stopping everyone in their tracks.**_

"_**That's it, end game, finito, you're done, pencils down you're all free, see you all back here bright and early, well those of you who passed at least," he laughed, "ah yes another class of deadbeats beaten by Akimno Horagu, master examiner! You guys get the papers I'll grade them in a min, should be done by the afternoon." The man left then and everyone started talking.**_

"_**That was so hard," Rusuta heard a girl say.**_

"_**Yeah I barely think I got anything," said a boy.**_

"_**No way, I was counting on you!" cried another.**_

"_**Rusuta, you did well, Krysta's going to be happy," said Homaru disappearing back into her heart.**_

"_**What a relief," she sighed flopping back in her chair only to meet the worried eyes of Koni.**_

"_**Koni?" she asked sitting up worried.**_

"_**I don't think I did so well, I'm sorry Rusuta," he told her.**_

"_**Hey that's ok," she said standing with him, "Horagu Sensei said it was our team's score that mattered, we'll be fine."**_

"_**You don't think I'll drag you down?" worried Koni.**_

"_**No way, we're a team, we always will be," smiled Rusuta as Umani joined them.**_

"_**Nothing like invigorating test hay Koni, what do you say we stick around and check our scores," he sneered confidently.**_

"_**Good idea, let's grab something to eat though, I'm a little hungry," smiled Rusuta and they left the room and went to a small hot food stand nearby whilst they waited for the scores.**_

_**It was still really hot and like Homaru had told her Rusuta was feeling very strained from using her blood to answer the questions, Koni and Umani were eating happily but Rusuta just kept pushing the fish of her sushi round the bowl like she didn't really want it.**_

"_**What's wrong Rusuta, salmon's your favourite, you've barely touched it, you're not sick are you?" asked Koni.**_

"_**No, no it's fine," replied Rusuta finally putting some in her mouth. Koni watched as she seemed to find it hard to first chew and then swallow her food.**_

"_**You sure you're ok, you haven't been eating lately, your mom's worried too," replied Koni eating some more noodles, Rusuta stayed quiet and tried to eat some more.**_

"_**I'm so hungry, but I, I can't eat this, I feel like I'm going to be sick just looking at it, and its salmon too, I thought I might be able to stomach my favourite food, it's not fair, what's happening to me," she thought sadly unable to eat another bite.**_

_**Then two female ninja walked by them, they stopped and looked at the downtrodden Rusuta.**_

"_**There she is," sneered one.**_

"_**Little miss perfect!" sneered another.**_

"_**What do you want?" asked Koni annoyed.**_

"_**You haven't heard?" giggled one of them.**_

"_**Yeah Horagu Sensei's spitting feathers about her score," giggled the other.**_

"_**My score," worried Rusuta.**_

"_**Seems she totally beat the system, every question right, every single one," one of them huffed.**_

"_**You're so gonna get investigated for cheating," sneered the other one.**_

"_**Horagu Sensei's never had anyone get your score before, that's why they use him as the examiner, you think they really want a ton of really smart Chunin running around? See ya cheater!" giggled the first one leaving.**_

"_**Yeah cheater!" giggled the second following her friend.**_

"_**What a pair of…" growled Koni before hearing Rusuta sobbing, "Rusuta?"**_

"_**I knew, I knew they'd find out," she sobbed.**_

"_**What do you mean?" asked Koni softly.**_

"_**Homaru, he helped me see the questions, he turned them into Yulikas and told me what the symbols said, he didn't give me the answers but I knew, I knew I was cheating, I'm so sorry, I just thought my mother would kill me if I didn't pass, now when she finds out what I did," she sobbed bitterly.**_

"_**But you didn't cheat," said Umani, "that vanishing Jutsu could be stopped a number of ways, I just happen to know an illusion break jutsu for just such things. I don't know what Homaru or Yulikas is but if you translated something into another language just to see it you weren't cheating at all, in fact, that's a near Jonin level technique."**_

"_**Really?" said Rusuta drying her eyes.**_

"_**Yeah, he's right, just because some over arrogant examiner got his system beat doesn't mean you cheated, let's go check out the scores, we'll know what's what then," smiled Koni helping her up and then going back to the school.**_

_**A bunch of ninja were standing in front of a sign post, some looked really dejected and others happy and jokey, Rusuta guessed that the happy ones passed. When the group saw her they all moved away from the sign and stared at her like she was an alien. The little group had a look for their scores and found them near the bottom of the sign.**_

"_**Umani Yuchi, eighty-nine, humph, that's pretty good," he smiled arrogantly.**_

"_**Koni Tsomuso, fifty eight, whew that could have been so worse," laughed Koni relieved.**_

"_**Rusuta Monolo… one hundred," gasped Rusuta, "it's true!"**_

"_**There you are!" they heard Sakura call from nearby, the three went over and Sakura hugged Rusuta tightly.**_

"_**If anyone was going to wipe that smile off his face it was going to be you!" she laughed happily.**_

"_**You're not mad?" asked Rusuta.**_

"_**Mad?" asked Sakura.**_

"_**Some girls accused me of cheating, I didn't I promise," said Rusuta.**_

"_**I know, not even Horagu Sensei thinks that, they're just jealous you got the highest score. So you guys are through huh?" she replied.**_

"_**I guess our scores add up to over two hundred so I guess we must be," smiled Koni, Sakura giggled.**_

"_**He set the pass mark so low because of his arrogance you and Umani could have both got a thirty and gotten your team in," she laughed.**_

"_**That makes me feel better about my score," smiled Koni.**_

"_**We better go rest, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," smiled Umani and the three bid farewell to Sakura and left for home.**_

"_**You're in, that's wonderful," smiled Kumico helping Velia finish her dinner.**_

"_**Yeah, Rusuta got every question right," smiled Koni, Rusuta blushed.**_

"_**Ah, just like your mother," smiled Kumico.**_

"_**How did you know that?" asked Rusuta.**_

"_**Jun and Yumako may have been dead by the time Krysta took the exam but I've known for a little while since coming back here," he smiled.**_

"_**Uncle Kumico, snooping in the private files," sang and clapped Velia.**_

"_**Kumico," laughed Rusuta.**_

"_**I'm a proud uncle," he smiled.**_

"_**What about my parents?" smiled Koni nervously.**_

"_**Jivana's was a little higher than Varundo's but they were both in the mid eighties," he replied.**_

"_**Great," sighed Koni.**_

"_**Koni, you did fine, everything came out ok," Rusuta tried to comfort him.**_

"_**Are you going to go away now big brother, I heard there was a mission involved?" asked Velia.**_

"_**Yes, but we'll be home soon ok, and hay mom and dad might come back before us," smiled Koni hugging his little sister.**_

"_**Come help me practise in the yard ok big brother, Kumico's trying a new trick for my scar," said Velia dragging Koni away, Koni could barely wave goodbye with his sisters strength.**_

"_**She's certainly something, the bloodline's fast reforming, it does my heart good," smiled Kumico watching them go.**_

"_**Not mine," sighed Rusuta, "the Monolo bloodline dies with my mother, with my mixed blood I'm barely Creed at all."**_

"_**Come on now, you know that's not true, you have the Blood Creed god hauled up right there in your heart," he tried to cheer her up.**_

"_**The only way for the Monolo's to have a line as strong as Koni's is for mother to have another child by a Blood Creed warrior, and that only leaves you and Sir Varundo," she replied defeatist.**_

"_**Rusuta your blood is stronger than you think, it doesn't matter about your father you hear, you're a Monolo think of Alana as your oldest great grandmother the blood can be mixed until it's more sundry than Creed but Alana is your ancestor and both you and your descendants will always have her blessing," he told her and Rusuta smiled a little, "but you're young Rusuta, now is not such a time to be thinking of the future of the bloodline."**_

"_**I know Uncle," she replied going up to the roof.**_

"_**Tomorrow I go on my first really dangerous mission, so why aren't I excited?" she sighed sitting and looking at the sky. It was that time of the year again, the time where Rusuta would sit all night on the roof and wait for her father to come; only tonight she wasn't as expectant as she had been before and she started to well up with tears.**_

"_**I know why, I'm not excited I'm angry, I'm so angry, angry you haven't come for me, angry with myself for continuing to believe you will!" she cried huddling up, "look at me, I can't eat, I'm tired, I'm sick, I'm supposed to go fight and I'm in no condition. But if I don't go, then we might never get another chance, I have to do this for mother." Rusuta felt a cold chill come over her, she looked up from her huddle and a dense fog had settled in, Rusuta couldn't even see the edge of the roof.**_

"_**So…cold, what is this," she said standing worried, "another nightmare?"**_

"_**This is no nightmare," she heard a voice say.**_

"_**Who's there!" she cried out turning around, there wasn't anyone there.**_

"_**Look at you, jumping around like a rabbit, hearing what you can't see, you really think you can beat anyone like that?" the voice replied.**_

"_**Go away!" she cried out still looking around.**_

"_**Even if I were there I'd have nothing to fear from you, this sheer cold will freeze your muscles within minutes and this fog has you cut off from your friends, no one can save you, you're going to suffocate from the cold, your roof could use a pretty statue on top of it," the voice began to laugh and Rusuta started to panic, she felt her arms become heavy and cold, and then numb, her legs soon followed until she couldn't stand on her own.**_

"_**I don't know what you are, if you're in my head get out, let me go, please! Koni! Kumico! Koni!" Rusuta screamed before the voice laughed louder and the fog rushed towards her cutting her silent.**_

"_**Koni!" she screamed suddenly waking up in her bed, she was shaking all over and her arms were red and sore as if she'd been burned, however she was still cold and her body felt like a lead shell.**_

"_**What, what happened to me," she worried before Koni rushed in having heard her scream.**_

"_**Rusuta, oh thank goodness," he said hugging her.**_

"_**Koni, I, I was so scared," she told him.**_

"_**You scared us, we heard you screaming and then as I looked up you leapt off the roof and landed hard on the ground, you were out cold but Kumico was able to make sure you were ok. Rusuta I know something's wrong, please just tell me," he asked her worried.**_

"_**How could you see me through all that fog?" she asked confused.**_

"_**Fog? There was no fog?" he replied.**_

"_**That cold, cold fog, I'm still really cold, there was someone there, I couldn't move, my arms my legs, they just froze, then I just blacked out," she told him breathing heavily.**_

"_**Rusuta, we don't have to go through with the exams, we'll wait till next time, you're not well," said Koni.**_

"_**No, no we cant we have to go, I'm fine, I'll be ok I promise, just let me dress, I promise we won't be late," replied Rusuta standing up and despite all the pain she was in, dressing quickly and meeting Koni in the front yard soon after. Kumico and Velia met them there.**_

"_**Rusuta, I know you want to do this but you know that if you're not well Krysta will understand, she'd hate for you to get hurt," said Kumico.**_

"_**I'm fine, I have to be," said Rusuta.**_

"_**Rusuta you jumped off the roof, I thought you were trying to kill yourself," worried Koni.**_

"_**Why would I do that? I told you what happened, I'm fine," she replied a little defensively.**_

"_**Good to hear it," said Umani reaching them.**_

"_**Umani, you ready," said Rusuta.**_

"_**I've got your back, you two look a little frazzled though, late night?" he asked.**_

"_**I'm fine," smiled Rusuta trying not to worry.**_

"_**Yeah, I guess everything's ok," said Koni still a little worried.**_

"_**If you three are ready, shouldn't you be going?" said Kumico sternly, Rusuta turned round and nodded. Velia hugged her leg and wished her luck before hugging her brother.**_

"_**Be safe ok, I want you to come back safe," she sniffed worried, Koni bent down to her.**_

"_**I'll be fine Velia, you train hard ok, we'll come home soon," smiled Koni hugging his sister and then leaving with his friends. However he was still very worried about Rusuta, he'd seen no fog the night before so why would she throw herself off their roof?**_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Mystery In The Forest**_

_**Their group joined the other small number of groups that had passed at a platform near the Ninja school Sakura met them there.**_

"_**You guys made it," she said relieved.**_

"_**Of course we wouldn't miss this," smiled Rusuta.**_

"_**I'm so relieved; I had a terrible dream last night. It was about Sasuke; I saw him in the forest before a cold fog rolled in and swallowed him up, he screamed in agony and when the fog lifted all that was left was his headband. I woke up and could hear a girl screaming until she just cut silent like someone had hit her. Last night was the night Sasuke disappeared those years ago. So far there are no reported missing persons," she told them and Rusuta felt cold again, the scream had been her could it really have been her that Sakura had seen destroyed by the fog? She'd had no idea Sasuke's disappearance anniversary was the same night as that of her meeting her father.**_

"_**If I'd have realised, maybe I wouldn't have," she thought before Sakura hugged her.**_

"_**Tsunade will be here in a moment to give you guys the mission, but please, I beg you, if you find any sign of Sasuke, please tell him to just come home, this dream has worried me greatly, I'm so frightened he's in danger and there's nothing we can do," worried Sakura.**_

"_**It's ok Sakura, if we see him we'll give him the message," said Koni and Sakura nodded thankfully and left them.**_

_**Tsunade came to the platform then accompanied by a female ninja, Tsunade's aide. The crowd became hushed as Tsunade revealed several scrolls from under her robe.**_

"_**There are many enemies within the forest and they each hold special items for which this task is designed to acquire," Tsunade said suddenly throwing the scrolls into the crowd.**_

"_**It's a map?" wondered Koni looking.**_

"_**These enemies are real and must not be taken lightly, if you can defeat them their item will help you find a special tower, only teams who bring back the tower's treasure will pass this test. You have two weeks, don't get sloppy the time is long for a reason. The enemy is dangerous, be wary," Tsunade told them sternly.**_

"_**If you are ready the scrolls will now show you your starting points," said Tsunade's aide. Rusuta and Koni looked at the scroll and a red dot suddenly appeared.**_

"_**The West Gate," said Rusuta.**_

"_**We know that area of the forest well," smiled Koni.**_

"_**Ready!" cried Tsunade ringing a gong, "Go!"**_

"_**Let's go!" smiled Rusuta taking the scroll and running towards the West Gate.**_

"_**She's so spunky," smiled Umani running after her.**_

"_**Hey wait for me!" said Koni following.**_

_**Rusuta stopped at the West Gate and waited for her friends, she looked at the map, there was no indication where their enemies were, she guessed it would be too easy to know. When Koni and Umani joined her they walked into the forest and started to search for any sign of an enemy. Up in the tree a black clothed and masked figure watched them enter, the figure nodded and rushed back through the tree branches to a temporary fort structure where he was met by two other figures.**_

"_**It's begun, they started at the west gate," he said.**_

"_**Good, we'll wait for nightfall and then make our first attack, we'll take them completely off guard," sneered one of the two other figures, it seemed this was the leader.**_

"_**What exactly are we looking for?" asked Koni looking around as the three walked through the forest.**_

"_**Anything unusual I guess," said Rusuta.**_

"_**We should make our way deep into the forest's heart, there is a lake there, a water source is a good place to look for temporary settlements," said Umani looking at the map.**_

"_**But if the enemy are against the village wouldn't their settlements be on the outsides of the forest?" wondered Koni.**_

"_**Do we really have time to check both, this forest is huge," worried Rusuta.**_

"_**Think about it this way, where is the easiest place to hide a secret tower? Within dense forest growth. We simply pick up any enemies we find on the way," smiled Umani.**_

"_**What do you think?" asked Rusuta.**_

"_**I guess we have time to try that, we crossed this forest when we were kids and it only took us a few days remember?" replied Koni and the three headed deeper into the forest.**_

_**As the hours passed the group came across neither unusual items nor enemies and it was getting dark.**_

"_**Should we stop for the night?" asked Umani leading them to a clearing.**_

"_**But we haven't found any enemies, how can we stop when all we've done today is walk?" asked Koni.**_

"_**Better to save our strength, besides, Rusuta looks exhausted," he pointed out; Rusuta was sitting by a tree looking a bit sorry for herself. She was really hungry and her body just felt too numb now to move another step.**_

"_**Rusuta, I told you, you were too sick to do this," said Koni worried.**_

"_**Please don't worry about me," she sighed, "I'm fine, I'm just a little tired, let's just rest for a little while, we don't have to sleep the whole night."**_

"_**You sure?" said Koni and she nodded.**_

"_**You kids don't think you can just sleep here do you!" came a menacing voice, Rusuta stood up alarmed in case it was the same voice as last nights. **_

"_**Show yourself!" cried Koni and out of the trees one of the black figures appeared.**_

"_**Well you got your wish, one enemy, this is wrapping up nice and neat," smiled Umani before having to dodge a kunai being thrown from behind him.**_

"_**Arrogant child you have no hope of defeating us," the kunai thrower said before the third appeared.**_

"_**There are lots of you," she laughed, "more fun for us,"**_

"_**Rusuta, you up for a fight?" smiled Koni and Rusuta unleashed her whip.**_

"_**You got it Koni!" she replied running at the leader.**_

"_**Sen Blade Jutsu!" cried Koni.**_

"_**Shurukin Shower Jutsu!" cried Umani and the two boys unleashed their many bladed weapons.**_

"_**Remember don't use your weapons or they'll give us away," whispered the leader before dodging Rusuta's blade. The two other figures nodded to each other before one grabbed some kunai and the other some shurukin and together they leapt at the two male members of Rusuta's group. Despite their fierceness it soon seemed that the black group were barely fighting at all, everything offensive came from Rusuta's team as the black group mostly dodged or countered.**_

"_**These guys are nothing, slam them hard Koni!" cried Umani swiping at his opponent with his ball of shurukin spikes. Koni swiped with his sword and the two black figures came together and started to fight as if they were one person, something quite off putting. Meanwhile Rusuta was fighting the leader and finding her quite a challenge.**_

"_**My vision, it's so blurry, I can barely make her out, I have to hold on," thought Rusuta flailing her whip around madly. The leader looked over to her cohorts who nodded back before the leader leapt into the path of Rusuta's blade. The swipe cut her and sent her spinning to the ground. The fighting stopped, the leader stood up holding her arm before swiping her other arm through the air signalling they leave, the three black members fled.**_

"_**Yay Rusuta, you did it!" smiled Koni but Rusuta was so exhausted she fell to her knees and flopped to the ground.**_

"_**Rusuta," he worried cradling her.**_

"_**I'm ok, I'm just," she said fainting.**_

"_**We have to make her eat something, she can't keep on like this," sighed Koni making her comfortable beside a tree.**_

"_**We can't right now, she's liable to choke, she fought well defeating their leader like that," smiled Umani kneeling beside her.**_

"_**I'll make a fire to keep her warm, you watch her, I'll make her some soup, at least she can drink that," said Koni setting up a fire. Umani smiled and then looked towards the bushes where a pair of mysterious eyes was peering at them through the leaves. Umani smiled and nodded and the eyes disappeared in the rustling of the wind.**_

"_**That was fun," smiled the leader of the black group back at their base, she took off her hooded mask, it had been Krysta all along.**_

"_**Gosh that Umani's cocky," said the second taking off his mask, it was Varundo.**_

"_**That shurukin ball's nasty though," said the last one, Jivana.**_

"_**Hey is Rusuta ok, I've seen her fight, and she's normally much more alert than she was tonight?" asked Varundo.**_

"_**That's why I decided to stop the fight, Rusuta couldn't see me straight, I could see her eyes were all glazy, she's looks terribly ill, I'm worried. I've been sensing sudden weaknesses in her body for months but I thought it was hormonal, but what if she really is sick," worried Krysta.**_

"_**She hasn't been eating," sighed Jivana, "I thought maybe my cooking had gone bad but Koni still shovels it down like he'll never eat again."**_

"_**I noticed that the other day, I hope in her state that the real enemies don't find her," said Krysta.**_

"_**Actually shouldn't we be continuing our mission to find them," said Varundo and Krysta nodded.**_

"_**Be safe Rusuta, please keep your strength up," she sighed leaving with her team.**_

_**Later that night Rusuta woke up, the boys were asleep and she was feeling a little better, next to her was a bowl, the residue of a thin soup was left at the bottom and some was by her mouth.**_

"_**Oh Koni, thank you, I just hope I can keep it down," she sighed to herself looking around their surroundings.**_

"_**That woman let me hit her, she jumped into my path, why would she do that. If she hadn't, she would have had us dead to rights. I hate to say Koni's right but, how can I get better if I don't know what's wrong with me?" she sighed to herself looking over Koni's sleeping body.**_

"_**I'm just as proud as my mother," she said going back to her spot having decided it was safe to sleep again.**_

_**The next day the group set off into the deep forest once again, Rusuta looked better now and was feeling more alert. The sun came through the leaves and bathed them in a combo of bright sun and shadow star patterns.**_

"_**The enemy has good camouflage today," said Koni.**_

"_**I wish we could tell where they are, they left in such a hurry last night," said Umani who'd had limited luck tracking the group.**_

"_**Rusuta, do you think your Projection Jutsu might work?" asked Koni.**_

"_**Projection?" wondered Umani.**_

"_**Rusuta can do this thing, she found our parents once and well, ok I can't explain it, Rusuta," said Koni.**_

"_**Koni that only worked because, mother and have, I don't know some kind of connection, I don't have any idea who our enemy is, such vagueness could cause me to go in the wrong direction and we don't have time to go in circles," worried Rusuta.**_

"_**I think we should try whatever this is, if you need to picture them just think of their black attire," said Umani stubbornly.**_

"_**Koni I can't," she whispered to him.**_

"_**Why what's wrong?" he replied.**_

"_**Mother isn't the only person I have a connection too, what if I just find where mother is now she's far away on her mission, or worse, Koni what if my projection leads me…" she dried up.**_

"_**You mean you've never tried?" he gasped amazed.**_

"_**I wanted to, but every time I went to I started to cry, it's like I really don't want to ever have to face him again, but I've wanted him to come back, anything can throw off my projection, nerves are a big obstacle," she told him. Koni looked at Umani, he looked expectant.**_

"_**I don't think Umani should know about this, but it doesn't look like he's going to agree not to try the move. Rusuta, can you just scan the forest, not looking for anything in particular?" asked Koni.**_

"_**Yes but how would that help?" asked Rusuta.**_

"_**Umani will never know the difference and at least you'll see all we need in the forest, just no people," replied Koni and Rusuta reluctantly agreed.**_

"_**Are we trying this then?" said Umani.**_

"_**Guess so," sighed Rusuta, "you ready Homaru?"**_

"_**I'm ready," he replied. **_

"_**Koni, give me the map, I'll see if I can get the image to appear on it," said Rusuta and Koni handed her the map. Rusuta held it and closed her eyes. Umani watched in awe as her rune began to spark and Rusuta felt herself fly over the forest. She looked over and every now and then a tree would glow. Thinking this was enough Rusuta stopped and looked at the map, all the glowing trees were now little blue dots on the map.**_

"_**Looks like it worked," said Koni.**_

"_**Yeah I think its ok, I wonder if the dots will move?" she wondered and one of them suddenly did. There was a large green dot on the map where they were and the moving blue dot was coming straight for them.**_

"_**There's something coming!" cried Rusuta realising.**_

"_**Yes action!" smiled Umani.**_

"_**Let's hide, we can ambush them," said Koni and the three dove into the trees. They waited and Rusuta kept an eye on the map the dot kept moving closer and closer until suddenly she was grabbed from behind by a ninja covered in dark blue cloth. Even as she struggled Rusuta could not see the ninja's face but the noise alerted her group and they ran to her quickly. To Rusuta's surprise just as she saw the group coming to her the Ninja let go and turned round before blowing a black dust into the air and disappearing into the trees.**_

"_**Come, back, here!" Rusuta coughed breathing in the mist.**_

"_**Rusuta you ok?" said Koni.**_

"_**I'm fine," she coughed.**_

"_**He can't go far," said Umani running after him.**_

"_**Umani," Koni called.**_

"_**Come on, let's go," said Rusuta running after him.**_

"_**Krysta, Rusuta's team is on the move again," said Varundo having watched all this from a tree, he was back at the fort now reporting.**_

"_**Where to?" asked Jivana.**_

"_**They're moving towards the edge of the test area, a ninja attacked Rusuta so they're chasing him," he replied.**_

"_**Is she ok?" wondered Krysta.**_

"_**She's fine but, they're headed for the forbidden forest," said Varundo worried.**_

"_**The illusions," gasped Jivana. Krysta closed her eyes for a moment and could feel her daughter's life force was stronger than before.**_

"_**They'll be ok Jivana, whatever was wrong with Rusuta seems to have gone away, we will follow them, if this ninja was rogue then he may be part of the true enemy," replied Krysta.**_

"_**Right," replied her friends and they too disappeared into the trees.**_

"_**It's getting so dark," worried Rusuta as they ran. Suddenly Umani stopped in a small clearing.**_

"_**I know I saw him come this way, this is no use, Rusuta can't you feel him?" asked Umani.**_

"_**I'll try," said Rusuta but Koni went to stop her.**_

"_**I have a target this time, don't worry," she replied and her rune began to spark, "Projection Jutsu find the enemy!" Rusuta's arm sparked more than before and suddenly the trees around her began to glow.**_

"_**I can see where he went, come on," said Rusuta able to see the glowing trees again. Rusuta and Koni ran off but Umani lagged behind and took out a small firework from his bag.**_

"_**My work is done great Lord, the rest is up to you," he smiled setting the firework off and following the others.**_

"_**Rusuta, it's so dark now, I can't see," said Koni and they stopped; all Koni could see was Rusuta's rune.**_

"_**I can still see the trees, maybe there's light ahead?" she wondered before realising, "where's Umani?"**_

"_**He's not in front of you!" cried Koni worried.**_

"_**Oh no we've lost him!" worried Rusuta and then suddenly the spot where they were was washed white with a bright light.**_

"_**Ah, so bright!" cried Rusuta huddling down surprised. They could see the trees around them now, it was a dead end.**_

"_**Who's there!" cried Koni.**_

"_**You've fallen into the trap!" Rusuta heard a voice say, it was the voice from before, Rusuta screamed standing up.**_

"_**What is it?" worried Koni.**_

"_**No, no it can't be!" she cried and then she cried out again as a white fog started to roll into the clearing.**_

"_**The fog!" she screamed afraid.**_

"_**Fog?" wondered Koni looking around, Rusuta was scared stiff she couldn't move and the fog started to flow in faster until Koni could no longer see her.**_

"_**Rusuta!" he cried out.**_

"_**Koni, Koni! Koni help!" she cried out afraid feeling cold all over, "I don't want to die!" Rusuta felt her limbs get heavy again and she could barely stand, then she heard music.**_

"_**White is all that I can see, but you right in front of me, deep in the trees I wait for thee, protect and take care of thee, soon one day we'll meet again, in the darkness we are kin…" she heard the music play.**_

"_**The, the song…" she gasped flopping to the ground too weak to stand anymore, "I can't breathe, I'm so cold, so tired, my song, am I dreaming, why is the song here, I'm not afraid anymore… not afraid… not…" Rusuta closed her eyes and blacked out.**_

"_**Rusuta! Rusuta!" cried Koni but even as he ran frantically in the fog he could not find her, then he heard an evil laugh and the fog immediately disappeared and the forest was back to normal.**_

"_**Rusuta!" he cried but as he looked around all he found of Rusuta was the map and her headband.**_

"_**No!" he cried out afraid.**_

"_**No!" Krysta screamed suddenly flopping over by a tree.**_

"_**Krysta! What is it!" cried Jivana worried.**_

"_**Rusuta's spirit, gone…" she gasped wide eyed and shocked.**_

"_**Gone!" cried Varundo worried for his son.**_

"_**Rusuta no…" worried Krysta letting a tear fall from her eyes.**_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

_**A New Destiny?**_

"_**Where am I?" Rusuta thought opening her eyes, her vision was very blurry she could barely see, above her all she could see was blue and she felt as though she were lying on a blanket on what felt like a raised surface. Weakly she moved her arm to the side and could feel a kind of cloth vertically standing.**_

"_**Canvas? A tent?" she thought trying to look around her more. Suddenly a bright light came from a hole in the blue and a blurry dark figure came into view. He came close to Rusuta and bent down to look at her, she though she could see the fading light glint on something glass in front of his face. She tried to blink to see clearer but the figure moved away back to the light source.**_

"_**She's awake, come and see," she heard his voice say, for some reason it was familiar but she didn't know why. Then as the light came back another taller figure entered and looked at Rusuta, she could see he had long hair and against the darkness she could see his hands were pale and white, though hued blue in the tent. The figure brought his hand to her face, it was cold like ice and Rusuta tried again to see clearly. Finally the shapes became clear and she could see the long haired figure scowl down at her like she was a worthless captive. However Rusuta smiled hopeful, for he had the eyes she thought she'd never see again.**_

"_**Father," she gasped dryly trying to reach for him but he pulled away sharply.**_

"_**Kabuto you fool, you captured the wrong girl, this is just a weak confused exam contestant!" he yelled angrily.**_

"_**But Orochimaru," said Kabuto knowing without a doubt that Rusuta was their intended target.**_

"_**Father, father it's me, please, it's me Rusuta, you must remember me!" Rusuta called out to him trying desperately to get up even in her weakened state.**_

"_**Get rid of her!" he growled angrily, "and go reset the trap, get it right this time Kabuto!" Orochimaru winked to his cohort and went to leave but suddenly,**_

"_**Father stop!" cried Rusuta having summoned enough energy to leap off the table and unleash her whip, as she did her tied up hair came loose and fell around her head like a curtain.**_

"_**Orochimaru," said Kabuto pointing, Orochimaru looked and smiled evilly. He turned round to her and showed her he had realised and Rusuta smiled relieved before fainting still weak.**_

"_**Take her to the other tent, call for me when she awakens, my daughter and I have a lot to catch up on," smiled Orochimaru leaving.**_

"_**Koni! Koni!" called Jivana as she and Krysta and Varundo searched the forbidden forest for both him and Rusuta, Krysta still could not feel her daughter's spirit but stubborn as ever she was not about to believe Rusuta was dead.**_

"_**Koni! Can you hear me!" called Varundo.**_

"_**Where are they," worried Jivana watching Krysta tear through bushes and trees in anger to cover her own sad worry.**_

"_**Rusuta, Rusuta please, I know you're there!" she thought to herself angrily.**_

"_**I can't feel Homaru either," worried Alana.**_

"_**Rusuta!" Krysta called out into the trees making several birds fly away in fright. Then they heard a rustling in the trees and suddenly Koni came through and huddled next to a tree exhausted, he'd looked everywhere for Rusuta and Umani and found nothing, now it seemed the fog had weakened him too.**_

"_**Rusuta, where are you, please, give me a sign," he said worried before noticing the black figures around him.**_

"_**Oh great, you guys again, I don't have time for you! Get out of me way!" he growled angrily standing up and taking out his sword.**_

"_**Koni, it's ok, it's us," said Jivana going over to him and taking off her mask.**_

"_**Mom?" he asked confused and Varundo and Krysta took off their masks too.**_

"_**Dad? Miss Krysta, oh no, I'm dead!" he worried afraid.**_

"_**Koni it's ok," said Jivana not understanding.**_

"_**Rusuta, where is she," said Krysta.**_

"_**I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" said Koni panicked.**_

"_**Koni, Krysta won't hurt you," said Varundo a little embarrassed, "she just wants to know where Rusuta is."**_

"_**I don't know," he sighed sadly sitting by a tree.**_

"_**What happened?" asked Jivana sitting with him.**_

"_**We were chasing this ninja, we thought he was one of you, actually we thought you were the enemy, hang on why are you even out here mom?" asked Koni.**_

"_**Tsunade had us play enemies for the exam but the real reason for the exam and us being here is that there is a real enemy out here, our mission has been to find them and unfortunately every time we get close they disappear again, it's like they know we're coming," said Krysta annoyed.**_

"_**Oh I see, then that would have been the ninja we chased. We followed him and then we lost him but Rusuta said she felt something so we kept going, then it got all dark so we stopped for a moment, Umani's gone too, we lost him in the darkness. Then this light just shone everywhere and Rusuta screamed, I saw this fog roll in and we were separated, I couldn't hear her but I know Rusuta was petrified of it, it was so cold it was hard to keep moving, but then it just disappeared and when it did Rusuta was gone and all I found was her headband and our map," he explained, "I've looked everywhere for her, I'm sorry I can't find her, and now I don't even know if or who took her."**_

"_**It's ok, you're safe now, come on we have a fort that was the base of operations you can rest there, there's no more we can do for now," said Varundo helping his son stand.**_

"_**Thanks dad," he said sadly.**_

"_**Don't be sorry ok, you've done all you can for now," Varundo said helping him away. Krysta didn't move, she was worried for Rusuta and what of this mysterious fog?**_

"_**We'll find her," said Jivana.**_

"_**Jivana, it's, it's just like when we were sent to investigate Sasuke's disappearance, a fog that makes people disappear without a trace, Sasuke's been gone for years, what if this fog," worried Krysta.**_

"_**She's ok Krysta, she has to be, whatever got Sasuke Rusuta's stronger than he ever was!" snapped Jivana.**_

_**When Rusuta woke up she was now laying on pillows with her sash close by, there was green all around her, this tent was green, then she looked at the floor it was covered in a straw mat to prevent the cold and wet from getting in.**_

"_**Now where am I, was it just a dream, did I really see my?" she wondered sitting up feeling better than before.**_

"_**You're awake," she heard a voice say; Orochimaru was in the corner sitting on a cushion with a suspicious looking bottle beside him.**_

"_**Father, it is you…" she gasped amazed.**_

"_**Forgive my anger earlier, but you don't exactly look like the five year old I left behind," he sneered.**_

"_**I've grown a lot," she said sitting comfortably now.**_

"_**I can see that, and you're clothing style as well as your amusing hairstyle could also be considered differences," he continued, "the clothes are you mother's doing I can tell, there's no mistaking Blood Creed style, but you're long jet black hair, hunched up and strangled in thick gravity defying pigtails? Why put your hair through such torture?"**_

"_**I just like them that way," she lied childishly.**_

"_**Or it's for the same reason you wear a Leaf Village headband when your mother does not, you're afraid to be yourself," he told her glaring, "to hide the impact your eyes have on strangers you take away the other half of the look that makes people think of me and to deem yourself trustworthy to the Leaf Villagers you wear your mother's styles but wear their headband."**_

"_**What are you saying?" asked Rusuta suspiciously.**_

"_**Only that you've gone soft, I knew leaving you in your mother's incapable hands would be a waste of your power," he taunted her.**_

"_**Then why didn't you come back like you promised!" cried Rusuta going to stand but feeling a horrible twinge in her abdominal area and cringing painfully.**_

"_**I was waiting until you were ready, besides it's not like you kept your promise either. The Plasma Star turned black in my hands it held no power at all," he told her standing and watching her in pain, "besides you seem to be having some kind of problem."**_

"_**I gave you the real Star, it's not my fault it was powerless!" she cried out in pain. Orochimaru kneeled down to her and placed his hand on her face, he could see her skin was pale, she was very sick.**_

"_**What have you eaten?" he asked her.**_

"_**Nothing, I can't, every time I eat, I'm sick, but I'm getting so hungry," she told him sadly. Orochimaru smiled he knew what was wrong and was surprised Krysta had not seen it herself.**_

"_**What does Krysta say?" he asked.**_

"_**Mother doesn't know, I've been like this since my fifteenth birthday," she told him and he helped her calm down.**_

"_**My dear child, don't worry I have what you need to cure you," he told her quietly.**_

"_**Cure, you mean this is just an illness, it can be cured and go away?" she asked hopeful and Orochimaru picked up the bottle.**_

"_**I thought you looked ill when you arrived, here," he said opening it and putting it to her mouth, "drink now, you'll feel better." Rusuta opened her mouth and let Orochimaru pour the bottle's liquid into her, a few drops went down the side of her face and they were red in colour, just as the liquid in the bottle was. Rusuta started to feel better, even as she finished the bottle she felt nothing of the cringes that would normally follow to warn her she was going to be sick, she just felt warm and numb, everything she saw seemed sharper and she could feel even the slightest imperfection in the silk of the cushions.**_

"_**Father, what is this feeling? What was that stuff?" she worried and Orochimaru stood up and left her saying,**_

"_**You'll know in the morning."**_

_**Rusuta didn't understand but felt too much more interested in this strange feeling in her body, she stood up and looked around the tent, everything seemed closer and as she moved across the mats she could hear the crunch under her feet as though it were next to her head.**_

"_**What is this, all the colours, the feelings, the sounds, I'm, I'm smiling, I'm happy this way, I don't care about anything right now, I'm so happy," she started to giggle and then laugh and roll around on the floor in hysterics.**_

"_**Rusuta? Rusuta come on wake up! Rusuta can't you hear me?" worried Homaru, he could feel what Rusuta was feeling and it wasn't natural, he became sure of the substance she had been given and it filled him with dread as Rusuta continued to ignore him.**_

"_**She, she's laughing?" asked Kabuto standing and listening outside the tent with Orochimaru.**_

"_**That girl truly is a bonding of the powers of the Blood Creed and Sound, and that seems to mean she will endure a curse as hard as her mother's, only now I suspect that curse maybe combined with a most lethal weapon," laughed Orochimaru seemingly happy with what he believed was going to happen now.**_

"_**All posts secured sir," came the voice of a young man with long spiky black hair all tied up in a Sound headband and dressed in blue cloth.**_

"_**Good, Kabuto you go on watch now and find our friend, you watch the tent and inform me when she awakens tomorrow morning," said Orochimaru leaving with Kabuto.**_

"_**Yes sir," said the man and he stood out front of the tent watching them go. He looked back for a moment at the female shape that he could see dancing around within with intrigue then simply shook his head dismissively and returned to his task.**_

_**The next morning as dawn came Rusuta found herself strewn on the mats on the floor as if she'd simply fallen and gone to sleep, her head hurt and she felt sick again.**_

"_**What's going on, father said that stuff would make me better," she wondered lying in her heap barely thinking to move.**_

"_**Rusuta, Rusuta," she heard Homaru say.**_

"_**Homaru?" she answered finally.**_

"_**Thank goodness you can finally hear me, I was getting worried," he said relieved.**_

"_**Hear you? You haven't said anything since before the fog got me?" she replied confused.**_

"_**I'll explain, if I can, later, you need to get out of here, it's dangerous," he warned her.**_

"_**But my father?" she continued confused.**_

"_**I know, but please understand, that stuff he gave you last night, it wasn't medicine," he tried to explain.**_

"_**Then what…" she wondered suddenly cringing in extreme pain, "no the cramps, they're back, they hurt worse than ever!" suddenly she looked up and saw the youth with long black spiky hair come into the tent.**_

"_**Who are you?" she gasped painfully but the youth said nothing and simply bent down to look at her. Rusuta calmed down a bit and felt like she recognised this scruffy youth but before she could talk to him he left the tent.**_

"_**Why is he, he's so familiar," she wondered cringing in the pain again until Orochimaru entered.**_

"_**Ah there you are," he smiled evilly.**_

"_**I thought you said that medicine would cure me, I'm in worse pain than I've ever felt in my whole life, please stop it father, please help," she begged him.**_

"_**You haven't realised yet? Pity, I had brought you're breakfast, maybe it'll give you a hint," he sneered and suddenly a deer was thrown into the tent, freshly killed its neck was slit open violently. Rusuta looked at it horrified, what on earth could Orochimaru have meant by throwing a dead animal in here?**_

"_**Rusuta don't look at it, turn away it's not too late!" panicked Homaru.**_

"_**What do you mean it's just a deer," said Rusuta, "a dead deer, poor thing, look how much it's bleeding." Rusuta suddenly twinged in pain plunging her runed hand into the pool of blood on the floor. Her rune sprung to life and sparked healthily and the blood began to glow.**_

"_**Homaru…" she said trailing off as the glow became reflected in her eyes.**_

"_**Don't do it! Rusuta! Keep you're head I implore you, don't do it!" cried Homaru but Rusuta couldn't hear him as she looked at the blood on her hands. Finally with one last painful jerk her hands came to her mouth and her weakened body finally understood what it needed to survive and get rid of the illness that had plagued it for so long. Orochimaru looked on happily watching his daughter as she soon got the knack of blood drinking and the deer was soon dry, he was intrigued now to see what state her blood high would leave her in, would it be aggressive like Krysta or numb and easy to manipulate, he hoped the latter for it would take a mighty force to complete his latest plan to ruin Krysta and it all hinged on these few moments.**_

_**Finally Rusuta was able to stop and was feeling the same as when Orochimaru had given her the bottled liquid the night before. She smiled happily and thanked him for the relief.**_

"_**You like this feeling don't you?" he told her.**_

"_**Yes," she said dryly.**_

"_**Now you know what you need to do to feel like this, would you like to feel like this all the time?" he asked her helping her stand up, Rusuta nodded happily, "This forest is full of people after me, if they find me they'll split us up again, and you don't want that, so I want you to help my friends stop them." he gestured towards the door and to Rusuta's surprise Umani appeared.**_

"_**Umani?" she asked confused.**_

"_**Rusuta," he smiled at her.**_

"_**Umani was sent to the Leaf Village to find you, I'd have come myself but I've been hauled up here for a while and couldn't get away," Orochimaru explained vaguely, "Umani, Rusuta has agreed to help us, you can take it from here."**_

"_**Yes sir," Umani nodded and Orochimaru left after saying goodbye to his slightly incapacitated daughter.**_

"_**Umani, I'm so happy to see you," she told him smiling.**_

"_**I thought I'd lost you when I saw you and Konimashi run into the darker forests," he replied.**_

"_**Koni? Oh my goodness Koni I forgot about him, I hope he's ok?" she said worried for a moment.**_

"_**I haven't been able to find him, but no matter, you still have me and together we'll pass the exam and eradicate the forest of all those who wish to hurt Orochimaru," he smiled evilly.**_

"_**I can't believe my father actually needs me, I'm so happy Umani," smiled Rusuta childishly. Suddenly Umani grabbed her and threw her against his body hugging her tight, Rusuta was surprised.**_

"_**Umani, what are you doing?" she cried out only to have Umani suddenly kiss her.**_

"_**Don't ever scare me like that again, I'm not letting you leave me again," he told her whilst the flustered Rusuta caught her breath.**_

"_**Remember what I told you, stay and be safe or leave and be somebody, your soul needed you to make the choice, now you have," he told her smiling.**_

_**For Krysta and her family morning had also come and still there was little news of Rusuta. Koni had lain awake all night worrying and when he emerged from the small fort he found Krysta too had barely slept. She was sitting atop the wooden pillars of the fort covered all over with dew, she looked as though she'd been crying because of it but Koni knew better than to expect Krysta to cry.**_

"_**She's searched all night," said Jivana appearing, "uh, I can feel how deep her heartbreak is. Our connection's so strong, and so painful sometimes that I feel I wish to cry for her."**_

"_**I feel so useless sitting here, Rusuta's out there she has to be," said Koni and Jivana shook her head.**_

"_**Koni you mustn't feel that way, none of this is your fault," she told him.**_

"_**Why can't I feel her mom? Krysta can and Rusuta can feel her mother, you can feel Krysta so why can't I feel Rusuta, she's my best friend," he said sadly and Jivana took hold of Koni's hand and placed it on his rune, it of course covered his heart.**_

"_**You can feel her Koni, you only need to try, you might not have my telekinetic gift but you have something more special and once this is over I'm sure you'll realise what that is," smiled Jivana. Koni didn't understand but smiled at his kind mother.**_

"_**I'll find her, I promise," he nodded going off into the forest again.**_

"_**Be safe Koni," worried Jivana going over to her soaked friend with a towel.**_

"_**Rusuta…" Krysta shivered in the cold morning.**_

"_**Here, this will warm you," said Jivana covering Krysta's shoulders, "you've been up all night, did you have any luck?"**_

"_**I've sent my astral form to the farthest reaches of this forest, nothing, not a sign, not a footprint, not a hair," sighed Krysta sadly.**_

"_**Koni's gone off to look for her, we'll find her you know we will," she tried to comfort her but Krysta was in no mood to mope.**_

"_**We should be focusing on the mission," she said coldly.**_

"_**But Rusuta," said Jivana confused.**_

"_**If they've taken her we'll find her in due time, we still have a job to do, right now, that's all that's holding me together," replied Krysta jumping off of the wooden roof and going into the trees herself just as Varundo returned.**_

"_**Where's she going?" asked Varundo.**_

"_**To find the enemy, she won't say because she's too proud, but I think she's given up on Rusuta," said Jivana sadly.**_

"_**You know Krysta would never abandon her daughter, she's just looking for a distraction that's all, and she's probably right, if we look for the enemy it will take our minds off this terrible event," Varundo tried to cheer her up.**_

_**Out in the forest Umani and Rusuta were searching for enemies, Rusuta felt normal again and even though she felt suspicious of Umani's sudden seeming feelings she was feeling up for a fight. Since the numbness had worn off she had felt stronger than ever, she was faster and more dextrous as she leapt from tree to tree whilst Umani watched from the floor, suddenly they stopped behind some bushes.**_

"_**Why have we stopped?" asked Rusuta coming down.**_

"_**Our first targets are behind this bush," he said looking through Rusuta looked too and couldn't believe it.**_

"_**You want me to attack them? They're no threat to father," she said nervous.**_

"_**Maybe not but they'll make good practise for your new powers," replied Umani.**_

"_**New powers?" she replied confused.**_

"_**Of course, I can tell you've strengthened a great deal since the other night, just unleash your whip and have at them, besides, after what they said about you before you should be ravenous for revenge," he smiled evilly. Rusuta let her whip fall out, it glowed suddenly it was stronger; the edges of the blades flashed white and then sharp green crystals formed over them.**_

"_**Show me what you can do," smiled Umani.**_

"_**Li Li! We're totally lost!" cried an impatient young girl sitting next to some trees.**_

"_**I don't see you trying to read this thing Mi Mi!" cried a tall girl with a map.**_

"_**Si Si, don't indulge her you'll just make her worse," shrugged a scrawny thin girl looking at the bushes worried about enemies.**_

"_**If we keep fighting, goody miss perfect and her team will beat us, do you want that?" said Si Si trying to shut Mi Mi up.**_

"_**She's probably already made it," huffed Mi Mi.**_

"_**Did you guys hear that?" worried Li Li alerted by a bush rustling. Suddenly Mi Mi screamed and Si Si looked as she was thrown half way across the clearing by a super force.**_

"_**What the!" she cried.**_

"_**Mi Mi? Mi Mi!" cried Li Li going over to her friend, she had a huge cut over her torso. Suddenly Si Si was thrown over as well, Li Li looked up all she could see was a flick of black hair before a sudden silver flash before everything went dark.**_

"_**Rusuta! Rusuta!" called Koni running through the forest. He stopped for a moment hearing what sounded like the cries of a fight. Looking behind some trees he could see a youth in orange battle clothing attacking trees with sheer force, on a log an older man was sitting looking bored close by. Koni braced and moved closer only to realise, it was Naruto.**_

"_**Naruto?" he asked surprised, Naruto turned, in the ten years he hadn't changed much still as energetic as ever and seemingly as hard headed but training with the old man he was with was paying off and Naruto was much stronger now than ever.**_

"_**Hey Koni long time no see man!" he cheered happily.**_

"_**What are you doing here, you're already a Chunin right?" asked Koni confused.**_

"_**Ah no the exams started! I was supposed to be helping Sakura!" cried Naruto worried.**_

"_**Don't worry Naruto Sakura can handle it herself, besides you've been training non stop for seven days, didn't you even realise it was night and then day?" asked the old man coming over, then he noticed Koni, "are you one of the exam hopefuls? Don't you have a team young man?"**_

"_**My name's Koni Tsomuso, yes I do have a team, but they're missing," he said numbly.**_

"_**How do you lose a team?" asked the man.**_

"_**Jarriya give him a break," nagged Naruto, "I'm sure Rusuta's just gone scouting or something."**_

"_**Rusuta? Rusuta Monolo?" asked Jarriya.**_

"_**You've seen her!" cried Koni.**_

"_**Sorry kid just heard of her, apparently Tsunade expects great things from her and her mother's a real hot head, I wouldn't get too involved if I were you," Jarriya winked.**_

"_**Cut it out, Jarriya Koni and Rusuta are childhood friends, not boyfriend and girlfriend!" cried Naruto embarrassed.**_

"_**I'm sorry but I have to find her, she's in terrible danger," said Koni.**_

"_**What happened?" worried Naruto and Koni told them about the fog, Jarriya looked suspiciously towards the northern trees.**_

_**Suddenly they all heard painful cries and on instinct ran towards them, right into a clearing strewn with female bodies.**_

"_**What happened here?" Koni worried looking at the devastation.**_

"_**Please, please help us," said Li Li managing to lift herself from the floor a little, "my sisters and I, were attacked, by a monster, I can't waken them, the monster, ripped out their necks, I couldn't stop it." Koni knelt by her and helped her sit before looking round at the other two girls. Their chest wounds were superficial but both were bleeding profusely from the neck.**_

"_**Oh no, has Krysta gone nuts again?" worried Naruto.**_

"_**We can't say that for sure Naruto, no matter how scary this is," said Jarriya creeped out.**_

"_**Miss Krysta?" Koni worried picking one of the fallen girls up and flinging her over his shoulder, "hey Naruto, give me a hand and help me take these girls back to my family's camp. You can you walk I can't carry you too?" Li Li cringed and started to walk, her wounds were deep and painful, she could feel a terrible stinging all over her. **_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

_**Venom**_

_**Koni led them back to the fort, Jivana met them there she couldn't believe what she saw.**_

"_**Koni what happened to these girls?" she cried as Koni laid them down, "their necks…"**_

"_**We, we were attacked by a monster," said Li Li sitting down to rest, Jivana attended to her wounds.**_

"_**Mom I hate to say it, but all these wounds, they look like," worried Koni.**_

"_**What's going on?" said Krysta appearing out of the trees.**_

"_**The monster!" cried Li Li. **_

"_**Monster? You must be mistaken?" worried Jivana knowing Krysta was on a short fuse.**_

"_**You have exactly three seconds to tell me why you called me that child!" cried Krysta angrily unleashing her sash.**_

"_**Stop, she's wounded!" said Koni getting in the way.**_

"_**Oh no Krysta has gone nuts," worried Naruto.**_

"_**What are you doing here?" snapped Krysta seeing them, "who are you?"**_

"_**Forgive my intrusion, my name is Jarriya," winked Jarriya flirtively, Krysta growled at him.**_

"_**Don't even try Jarriya," sighed Naruto.**_

"_**She's the one who attacked us," continued Li Li.**_

"_**I've done nothing of the sort!" shouted Krysta leaping over Koni and grabbing the girl holding her by the neck, "I'm in a bad mood so you better have a good reason for your impudence!"**_

"_**Krysta please calm down," worried Jivana and Krysta threw Li Li to the ground.**_

"_**I'm sorry but I saw what I saw, my sisters torn apart by a bladed whip, then that vile creature plunged her teeth into their necks, they haven't woken up since," Li Li sobbed.**_

"_**That is your trademark," glared Koni distrusting Krysta.**_

"_**He's got a point," laughed Naruto and Krysta glared at him.**_

"_**You're not serious are you?" whispered Jarriya and Naruto nodded, Jarriya's looked turned ill.**_

"_**Koni!" snapped Jivana angrily.**_

"_**You're right it is," said Varundo appearing, Krysta glared at him suspiciously, "and there's only one other person capable of that trademark bite."**_

_**Krysta knelt down to Mi Mi and looked at her neck, the blood was congealing but now the wound was turning black as if charred by acid.**_

"_**Poison, that's not my bite," said Krysta coming away.**_

"_**But then, who has a weapon that leaves slash marks like those and drinks blood?" asked Naruto. Koni looked down at Li Li,  
"hey I just realised! You're one of those Grass Ninja who were mean to Rusuta over her exam score!"**_

"_**Hello she got one hundred percent that cheater shouldn't even be in this exam no one gets one hundred percent!" snapped Li Li not understanding the significance.**_

"_**No one but me," said Krysta looking down at her, "and I, am her mother."**_

"_**You gonna kill me too!" cried Li Li angrily trying to stand but failing, her wounds were going black too, she was also poisoned.**_

"_**If we don't cure that venom they're all going to die," worried Jivana.**_

"_**We don't know what kind of venom it is," said Krysta and Varundo held her shoulder.**_

"_**You know, you have to now," he told her but Krysta shook her head.**_

"_**Rusuta doesn't even have fangs! I'd rather her dead than this," she screamed angrily.**_

"_**I know you're upset but you have to face this, you're the only one who can stop her, look what she's done already, maybe she's scared, what if this happened when she was alone after that fog Koni talked about, you can barely control your hunger how can you expect her too," he tried to tell her.**_

"_**Rusuta isn't like me, my thirst is Alana's fault! It's not hereditary!" she snapped angrily.**_

"_**You know it's not my fault, I already told you that!" snapped Alana.**_

"_**Oh shut up!" Krysta cried back, "If it was Rusuta we'd know, I'd have felt her."**_

"_**Krysta, what if you can't find her, because someone's hiding her, if she's suddenly become feral and infected these girls with poison, where has that poison come from, only one place," said Jivana comforting her.**_

"_**Orochimaru, he came back for her after all," she sighed calmly.**_

"_**Orochimaru? What's his play in this, just being a jerk again?" wondered Jarriya.**_

"_**You really are stupid, Orochimaru is Rusuta's father, I thought you said you'd heard of her, she looks just like him even we realised first time we met her," snapped Naruto. **_

"_**I'm gonna get him," growled Koni angrily.**_

"_**If he's given her the thirst I'll feed him to her!" snapped Krysta.**_

"_**Let's go after him," said Jivana.**_

"_**But we don't know where they are?" asked Koni.**_

"_**We know where there was the last attack, we start there," said Krysta.**_

_**Meanwhile Rusuta and Umani had returned to the Sound encampment. Rusuta sat under a tree resting and wondering what on earth was happening to her.**_

"_**I couldn't stop myself, but I didn't want to stop either. Those girls, I've hurt them badly, but for some reason I don't care, is that really like me? I can't remember. Just the energy, and the power, such power," she sighed happily.**_

"_**I didn't want to believe it was you I saw, but I guess I can't pretend now," she heard someone from above her say with a nagging arrogance. Rusuta looked up and saw the scruffy youth from the morning, he jumped down and glared at her.**_

"_**You've grown a lot Rusuta," he told her folding his arms.**_

"_**Who are you?" she asked dropping her guard. The youth brushed his long hair back behind his ears and looked at her hatefully, Rusuta could not believe it, he was taller older and unlike anything he used to be, but it was him.**_

"_**Sasuke," she gasped amazed, "what are you doing here, everyone's worried!"**_

"_**I'd ask you the same thing if it weren't for the fact we're here for the same reason," he told her.**_

"_**I don't understand," said Rusuta.**_

"_**Look at you, just as I knew you'd always be, you could be Krysta's twin," he sneered.**_

"_**Mother and I are not so alike after all, she's strong and great, me, I'm just weak, and I've been so ill. How can she be proud of me like this," she told him sadly.**_

"_**So you come to your father to make him proud," laughed Sasuke.**_

"_**You hate my father! Why are you here! If you've come to hurt him I'll tear you to ribbons!" she cried annoyed.**_

"_**In case you've noticed I'm a Sound Ninja too now, I might not like the guy but he's giving me the power I need, just as I see he's giving it to you, his monster of a daughter," replied Sasuke meanly.**_

"_**I'm not a monster!" she cried unleashing her whip.**_

"_**You say that, but you know I'm right, you've always known, you wouldn't be here otherwise," laughed Sasuke going to leave.**_

"_**Wait!" she cried and he looked back, "Sakura told me to find you, she said she just wants you to come home."**_

"_**I don't care about Sakura or the Leaf Village anymore," he said leaving.**_

"_**I'm not a monster, I'm not," she said worried and her rune started to glow eerily, "no I'm not, I'm not, I'm not." Rusuta retracted her whip and went inside the camp to find her father.**_

_**Orochimaru was on a higher area of the encampment looking down onto the forest where the exams were taking place.**_

"_**Umani told me of your progress," he told her sensing her coming.**_

"_**Thank you father, thank you for everything," she replied sadly and he turned to her.**_

"_**You look sad child," he asked gesturing her forward.**_

"_**I'm stronger now than I've ever been, despite the consequences I'm ready to continue with the exams, but that means I must go and Umani has to as well," she told him.**_

"_**Why do you want to continue with the exam?" he asked.**_

"_**Mother, she wants me to be the best, I know she does, and now I can beat everyone, and I want to do it for both of you," she replied determined.**_

"_**You can go," he said suddenly, Rusuta was a little surprised, Orochimaru turned and gave her a small bundle. When Rusuta opened it a new headband was inside, a Sound Village headband.**_

"_**Father?" she said confused.**_

"_**When you excel at the exams, I want you to come back. I want you to stay with me Rusuta, forever," he told her looking at her fatherly.**_

"_**You want me, you really want me," said Rusuta feeling like she'd cry. Orochimaru brought her forward and showed her the view from the cliff.**_

"_**You are my only heir, and one day the Sound will need a new leader. Think about it, a whole village will be yours to command, by then you'll be as strong as me. No one will ever be scared of you, or call you a monster again. If you stay with me, you'll be accepted and loved you're whole life. In the Sound Village you'll have more opportunities than the Leaf Village can ever give you," he told her inspiringly.**_

"_**But, what about my mother, and Koni," she replied Orochimaru shook his head.**_

"_**Your mother is a horrendously bitter woman, she was never accepted as a child everyone hated her and now, well you've seen what she's become. Do you want to be like that? Krysta will never let you come if you ask her, she doesn't want you to be with me, she doesn't want you to be happy," he smiled evilly, then Umani appeared.**_

"_**All posts secure," he said, he'd obviously come from watch.**_

"_**Umani, come, we're just talking about the exams," said Orochimaru.**_

"_**I should have known you'd still want to go through with them, I'm still with you Rusuta," said Umani taking her hand lovingly.**_

"_**Father, I don't know if I can live without my…" she dried up as her rune began to glow again. Orochimaru came up to her stroking her hair caringly.**_

"_**Think about it Rusuta, you'll never be alone, no one will ever hurt you or forget about you, you'll have everything you want, as long as you stay with me. Go now, return to me when your exam is through," he told her and the blank Rusuta nodded leaving with Umani.**_

"_**The trap is closing Krysta, I shall watch with glee as your own daughter destroys you, and there's nothing you can do," he laughed looking at the tiny rune on his wrist left by his marriage to Krysta. Sasuke was watching from a tree, he was suspicious of Orochimaru's true goals.**_

_**The next morning when Rusuta woke up, she was already wearing her father's gift, she admired it in her mirror but wondered all the same how it had got there.**_

"_**Can I really stay with my father," she said looking for her clothes. On the floor was a blue and grass green battledress, somehow her clothes had changed too.**_

"_**It's beautiful," she said picking it up and putting it on. Then Umani came in,**_

"_**Come on, we have an exam to ace." He smiled at her and Rusuta blushed slightly before feeling that cringing pain in her heart again, her rune glowed and she smiled evilly.**_

"_**Let's go," she said leaving with Umani.**_

_**In the forest Krysta and her friends had split up having reached the site of the attack on the girls in their fort. They'd searched all night and still nothing, Koni kept vigilant as he passed every tree looking for even the slightest hints of a bladed struggle but so far there had been nothing. Suddenly his rune began to glow; it hurt a little and bled.**_

"_**What's happening?" he worried continuing into the wood, as he did the pain became more and suddenly through the bushes he could see what looked like a mound of grass, rising and falling? Then he heard an excited panting as a wave of black hair flicked up from the top of the mound. It wasn't a mound at all, but a person, who now was standing up and away from the floor laughing happily. Suddenly Koni saw a flashing red light coming from the person and how they lifted their arm realising the glow.**_

"_**Why are you glowing now?" wondered Rusuta looking at her rune, it had been Rusuta all along and on the ground shivering in pain was the latest Ninja to become victim of her new need.**_

"_**Rusuta?" she heard a voice say, it was Koni coming out of the bushes.**_

"_**Koni?" she said turning. Koni ran up and hugged her relieved she was ok but she softly pushed him away.**_

"_**Koni, where have you been!" she said having been worried.**_

"_**Looking for you, what happened, are you ok, I lost you in the fog, I'm so sorry, I'll never leave you again, I've been so worried, and your mother, oh my god has she been going nuts, she'll be so relieved when she sees you," he blurted excited he'd found her.**_

"_**Mother…" she gasped worried.**_

"_**Yeah, those black ninja, they weren't enemies after all it was our family, can ya believe it, they said they're looking for a real enemy around here. But, but Rusuta that's not important, what's important is that you're ok and…" said Koni suddenly noticing the ninja behind her. He backed away startled, he couldn't believe it.**_

"_**It, it's true," he said afraid then he looked at her fully, he could see she'd changed.**_

"_**Rusuta, what's happened to you?" he asked quietly.**_

"_**I'm not sick anymore, I'm strong now Koni, I'm sorry I've been away, I've wasted precious exam time, come on, come with me, we have to find some real enemies and get to the tower," she told him smiling happily.**_

"_**That's what I said, our parents are looking for the real enemies now, I have to take you back to them," he told her.**_

"_**Koni, I, I'm not going back," she told him sighing, "once I've passed the exam I'm leaving the Leaf Village, I can't stay there anymore, it was suffocating me."**_

"_**Leaving, where, where will you go?" he asked her getting close again, then he noticed her headband.**_

"_**This, this can't be, this isn't yours," he said worried.**_

"_**He wants me, my father loves me, he does Koni and he wants me to stay with him. He saved me from the fog, he cured me, I owe him my life," she tried to make him understand.**_

"_**You're leaving to go to your evil father! Have you forgotten what he did to your mother, how he abandoned you all this time!" cried Koni not able to believe it.**_

"_**Koni please, come with me, father will let you, and mother and Jivana and Varundo, even Velia, I don't want to lose any of you," she begged him. Then they heard a few notes of sweet music as up in the trees Umani had arrived.**_

"_**Umani?" said Koni and he leapt down.**_

"_**You're alive after all then," said Umani.**_

"_**Umani thank goodness you're here, look will you talk some sense into Rusuta, she can't leave the Leaf Village, neither can we, it's our home," said Koni.**_

"_**I don't know I think it's a good idea, what do you think Ru honey," smiled Umani holding Rusuta tight to him.**_

"_**Let me go," she said quietly.**_

"_**You can't be serious," cried Koni angrily, his rune glowed fiercely.**_

"_**Struck a nerve have I," laughed Umani letting Rusuta go, "come Rusuta, we have an exam to finish, we don't need drip along here."**_

"_**Why you!" growled Koni going to attack him but Rusuta got in the way.**_

"_**Rusuta?" said Koni and Umani laughed evilly.**_

"_**How do you Leaf Villagers say it these days, oh yeah, how about, you're dumped Koni!" he laughed going to leave.**_

"_**Rusuta, what's wrong with you?" he asked her worried.**_

"_**I can't let you hurt Umani, or my father. You said Mother was looking for real enemies, tell her, that if she's looking for my father, to just give up, I don't want to hurt her," sighed Rusuta going to leave too.**_

"_**Rusuta you can't!" Koni cried grabbing her runed wrist.**_

"_**Koni," she sighed turning back to him, "your rune, it's bleeding."**_

"_**It did that the moment I saw you again, it's so painful," he tried to smile.**_

"_**Oh Koni," said Rusuta hugging him. Koni hugged her back and enacting with her rune Koni's bleeding ceased and healed.**_

"_**I can't let you leave me," he told her, "I'd die if I thought I lost you again." Koni held her head up and went to kiss her but just as Rusuta felt her blood lust vanishing her rune flared and glowed again. Rusuta pushed Koni away and walked back towards Umani.**_

"_**I have to stay with my father, stay away from me," she told him leaving with Umani.**_

"_**Rusuta," Koni sighed kneeling in shock. He looked to the poor ninja Rusuta had now poisoned and he gasped painfully for help. Koni picked him up and returned to the fort. There he found his parents and Krysta and surprisingly also Kumico.**_

"_**Oh no, another one," said Jivana taking the ninja from Koni.**_

"_**Sir Kumico, what are you doing here?" asked Koni.**_

"_**I felt the need, and it looks like I'm here just in time," said Kumico examining the new patient.**_

"_**Where's?" said Koni before feeling his legs come together suddenly, Velia was hugging her.**_

"_**Big brother you're ok!" she cried.**_

"_**Velia," he said kneeling down and hugging her lightly.**_

"_**Brother, you're bleeding," she gasped horrified and Jivana came over.**_

"_**I know, I don't think this is going to heal though," he said sadly.**_

"_**Don't worry, you'll regenerate," said Jivana worried.**_

"_**No mom, you don't understand, I, I found Rusuta," he told her painfully.**_

"_**You found Rusuta!" cried Jivana happily and Krysta came over.**_

"_**Is she ok?" Krysta worried.**_

"_**I don't want to talk about it," said Koni standing up.**_

"_**Koni you have to tell us," said Jivana.**_

"_**Leave me alone," he replied before walking straight into his father.**_

"_**Dad," he said sadly.**_

"_**Koni, what's wrong," Varundo asked worried.**_

"_**I'm fine!" he yelled angrily.**_

"_**Then why won't you tell us!" snapped Krysta.**_

"_**Because I don't care anymore!" Koni yelled angrily suddenly hitting the floor as the moody Krysta lost her temper.**_

"_**Krysta please," said Jivana trying to protect her son.**_

"_**Son," said Varundo trying to help him up.**_

"_**She doesn't care Dad, about you or me, or even her mother! She doesn't care! So why should I care about her!" Koni yelled trying to hide the fact he was crying.**_

"_**What are you talking about?" worried Krysta calming down.**_

"_**I mean what I say, Rusuta doesn't care about us anymore. The fog, she was saved from the fog, by her father," he told them painfully.**_

"_**Orochimaru!" screamed Krysta angrily, "What has he done to her!"**_

"_**I don't know, she said she owes him her life. I don't understand any of this but she's gone now, she's not coming home," he told her.**_

"_**No, that can't be," sighed Krysta worriedly, suddenly Krysta's chest rune flared and she fell to her knees in pain.**_

"_**Krysta!" worried Jivana Krysta was crying painfully.**_

"_**She's alive, she's alive," she cried seeming happy for a moment, "but her life sign, it's changed, it's still hers but, there's something different, it's hurting me, she's in pain, terrible pain." Koni stood up and looked out to the trees, he didn't want to say but he could feel it too, for the first time he could feel Rusuta's life sign.**_

"_**I've been a fool Rusuta, I'm not going to give up. I won't rest till you're safe with me, I can't hide my feelings any longer Rusuta," he thought moving towards the trees.**_

"_**Kumico, take care of Velia and the patients, with her life sign back I can track her, I'm going to find her," said Krysta.**_

"_**Are you sure you're ok?" worried Varundo.**_

"_**Yes now come on," replied Krysta and the group walked off into the woods.**_

_**Meanwhile Rusuta and Umani were going far into the deep middle of the forest attacking anyone they found in their way, even other exam takers. Every few moments Rusuta felt a shock from her rune, it was like when she was a kid again.**_

"_**It hurts so bad," she said to herself stopping for a moment. Umani came over to her.**_

"_**You're worried over Koni aren't you," he told her.**_

"_**Why do you think that," she replied.**_

"_**It's natural Rusuta, you two have been so close for so long, but if he can't see that you need a better life then maybe it's better he's not in it. I'm not like that, I'm going to help you not only get a better life but also stick with you through everything you do. Koni can't because he's too weak, that's why you're with me," he told her smiling. Rusuta's rune calmed down and she sighed.**_

"_**You're right Umani, I don't need him," she replied hugging Umani for comfort. Umani stroked her hair and them led her away continuing through the trees.**_

_**They came to some rocky cliffs with a waterfall, three exam takers were resting here and they weren't happy for the company.**_

"_**What do you want!" growled one of them, these were hot headed Sand Ninja and the leader was tall and well built, frightening to most of Umani and Rusuta's stature.**_

"_**You have the keys to the tower don't you," sneered Umani taking his flute out.**_

"_**And if we do?" sneered the leader's cohort.**_

"_**Then we shall have to take it, although I suggest you give it willingly," sneered Umani.**_

"_**What are you and that scrawny girl going to do?" laughed the third member, a bit smaller and thinner that the first two.**_

"_**Rusuta, destroy them," he said coyly starting to play the flute. It was the song he and Rusuta had sung together in the Leaf Village and almost immediately Rusuta's rune began to glow. Rusuta took her sash and transformed it before slashing it at the weakest member. She was silent and graceful and stood as though she were to dance instead of attack.**_

"_**A little ballerina doesn't scare us!" growled the leader taking out some Kunai and going to attack. Umani's music got faster and as Rusuta dodged her whip started to brush up sand and dirt into the eyes of her attackers.**_

"_**Give it up, before we really get serious," laughed Umani.**_

"_**Never," growled the second Sand Ninja, suddenly the third launched a surprise attack on Umani but found himself gashed open by Rusuta's whip, Rusuta caught the end and licked the blood off of it.**_

"_**What kind of freak is that!" cried the leader shocked.**_

"_**A freak that is going to end you. Rusuta my love, finale please," smiled Umani playing again and Rusuta span round at a dazzling speed. The dust whipped around her until it marred her from view was a deadly many bladed tornado.**_

"_**Let's get out of here!" cried the second Sand Ninja but they weren't quick enough as the fury of Rusuta's blades cut them all over until they were slumped by the trees barely breathing in the pain. Umani stopped playing and went over to the leader taking his key, it was a coloured piece of glass mounted in the shape of a star.**_

"_**It's beautiful," he sneered moving away so Rusuta could feed on them. Umani watched smiling evilly, the special charm Orochimaru had given him had worked perfectly. An old Yulikan spell used to control the rune power of convicted criminals, Orochimaru had spent these ten years searching for such a thing from the ruins of Yukusha simply to use it upon his loyal naïve daughter.**_

_**When Rusuta had finished she stood up with Umani and let him kiss her deeply, the energy from the blood was enough to make Rusuta completely drone like following Umani's commands as if she truly did love him but Umani knew it was not something that was permanent and she would often wake up and push him away. Suddenly Umani heard the bushes rustling and he let go of Rusuta to look for the source. He smiled when Koni appeared and greeted him coyly.**_

"_**Koni, have you reconsidered to join us after all?" he sneered.**_

"_**No, I've come for Rusuta, and to destroy you for you're part in this," glared Koni hatefully, "I knew we couldn't trust you!" Rusuta walked up to Umani then, she was still under the spell and saw Koni as a threat.**_

"_**Rusuta, I've come to take you back, your mother's on her way, and my parents too, I don't care what he's done to you, I'm going to take you away from all of this," said Koni.**_

"_**I will not go," she told him firmly, pushing Umani behind her to protect him.**_

"_**Rusuta has made her choice Koni, you will just have to live with it," sneered Umani blowing a few notes, Rusuta gasped passionately hearing them.**_

"_**What are you doing to her!" Koni cried angrily.**_

"_**You are so easy to wind up," laughed Umani evilly, "Rusuta, it's time to get rid of this distraction, for good."**_

_**Koni glared at Umani but then realised Rusuta had her whip uncoiled, he couldn't believe it, Rusuta was going to try and fight him, suddenly Umani started to play fully and Rusuta leapt at him.**_

"_**Rusuta, wake up! Snap out of it please!" cried Koni dodging and backing away trying not to have to fight her.**_

"_**You have to die," she said numbly spinning round slashing at him fast. Koni jumped out of the way but became pinned against the rocks.**_

"_**Rusuta, come on it's me, you don't want to hurt me!" cried Koni but Rusuta wouldn't listen. Then Krysta, Varundo and Jivana arrived and saw Rusuta and Koni battling.**_

"_**Koni what are you doing!" cried Jivana worried.**_

"_**It's not me, it's Rusuta, she won't stop!" cried Koni continuing to dodge.**_

"_**Krysta what's going on?" worried Varundo.**_

"_**I don't know, I've never seen Rusuta like this," said Krysta suddenly feeling a shocking pain in her runes, then they heard the music and could see Umani.**_

"_**It's that boy, Umani," panted Krysta.**_

"_**Let's get him," said Varundo. Jivana and Varundo ran to attack Umani but Umani was fast and stopped playing so he could engage fighting them.**_

"_**The music stopped," said Koni realising, however Rusuta wasn't letting up.**_

"_**You have to fight Koni, I don't think Rusuta can stop," said Krysta watching on getting ready to destroy Umani. Koni engaged his sword and he and Rusuta started to fight blade to blade.**_

"_**Please Rusuta, wake up, what's he done to you!" cried Koni.**_

"_**Must, drink…" Rusuta gasped painfully. Umani was able to hold off Jivana and Varundo but then Krysta got into the fight and he realised he needed help.**_

"_**Rusuta!" he called and Rusuta stopped fighting with Koni and leapt in front of her mother.**_

"_**Oh no," worried Jivana.**_

"_**Get her!" cried Umani.**_

"_**Rusuta stop!" cried Koni protecting Krysta. Rusuta stared at him blankly, he panted tiredly.**_

"_**Please, please Rusuta stop, it's me Rusuta, it's Koni, and your mom and my dad and my mom, we don't want to hurt you, please, stop attacking," he panted.**_

"_**Please, listen to him Rusuta," said Krysta calmly.**_

"_**She won't," laughed Umani having gotten hold of his flute again, "destroy them!" Umani started to play again and Rusuta went to strike Koni down with her blade when suddenly,**_

"_**I love you!" cried Koni just as the blade got to him. It sliced into his arm that he was using to block her attack but Rusuta didn't keep attacking. Umani stopped playing surprised and Rusuta started to wake up.**_

"_**Koni…" she said dryly realising what she was doing, the moment she saw her blade in his arm she dropped her whip and it fell out and she ran towards him.**_

"_**Oh Koni no!" she cried seeing how badly he was hurt.**_

"_**Rusuta, you stopped," he gasped painfully.**_

"_**I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Koni," said Rusuta starting to cry.**_

"_**It's ok, it's ok," said Koni going to hug her but she got up and walked away from him.**_

"_**Rusuta, I've been so worried," said Krysta, "I know what's happened to you, come back with me, I'll stop it, I promise."**_

"_**I'm not going back," said Rusuta looking back at them, her rune glowed dimly.**_

"_**Please come home Rusuta, we can pass the test together, we don't need Umani," Koni tried to convince her.**_

"_**No Koni, it's you I don't need, I'm not giving up this power for anything. I'm sorry I hurt you," she said picking up her blade and turning it back into her sash. Umani went towards the far trees to escape, calling her with him.**_

"_**I have to go," she said going to leave but Krysta wouldn't see her go and stood in her way.**_

"_**I won't let you go to him," she said firmly.**_

"_**I know, you won't let me be with my father, you don't care that it's what I want, you don't care what he's made me, how strong I am, you'd rather see me dead then with my father! Rather me dead than happy!" Rusuta cried and her rune glowed fiercely.**_

"_**You know that's not true," said Krysta but Rusuta pushed past.**_

"_**Father loves me, I'm going to live with my father, come with me or don't it's up to you," she snapped going to Umani who hugged her symbolically. Koni coughed and spluttered painfully and Krysta suddenly remembered and called frantically,**_

"_**Rusuta you have to come back! You're poisonous! We need to make an anti-venom! Please Rusuta your blade and bite secrete one of the deadliest venom's known to our kind!" Rusuta looked back at Koni, his wound had turned black and he was shivering and panting painfully.**_

"_**Koni," she sighed before feeling her rune burn and knowing she had to leave with Umani.**_

"_**Krysta, Koni, he's been poisoned," said Varundo picking up his son.**_

"_**Oh Koni," worried Jivana.**_

"_**Take him back to the fort, I'm getting that anti-venom, one way or another," said Krysta sadly following in the direction of Rusuta and Umani.**_

"_**Rusuta, I love you," gasped Koni passing out.**_

"_**Be careful Krysta," worried Jivana helping Varundo take Koni away.**_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

_**New Powers and New Hope**_

_**Kumico was working over the injured Ninja but was still having no luck with a cure for Rusuta's venom. Velia watched Kumico working but soon got bored and went over to Naruto to hopefully get entertained.**_

"_**Will you play with me?" she asked him and Naruto looked down.**_

"_**You're Koni's sister aren't you?" he asked her.**_

"_**Yep, I'm Velia what's your name?" she asked smiling happily.**_

"_**I'm Naruto," he smiled back standing from the log he was sitting on, Jarriya was close by, he was bored.**_

"_**Isn't there anything to fight in this place, Naruto we should be training you, we don't have time to play," sighed Jarriya. Velia climbed onto the log and hugged his arm.**_

"_**Please play with me, I'm bored," she said and Jarriya just found her too cute.**_

"_**Ok, ok kid, we'll play," he smiled setting her down and giving her a rock, "why don't you go play catch."**_

"_**Ok catch Naruto!" she cried happily throwing the rock, Naruto managed to duck but the rock went through several trees on the other side of the clearing.**_

"_**Yay, that was fun, how many trees can you get holes in Naruto?" she asked.**_

"_**This kid's a tiny powerhouse!" cried Jarriya amazed.**_

"_**Blood Creed," shrugged Naruto gladder that rock didn't hit him than amazed at it totalling three trees.**_

_**Jivana and Varundo returned then, Koni was unconscious now and his wound was very infected.**_

"_**What happened?" worried Kumico checking him over as they laid him down.**_

"_**Rusuta, she," stammered Jivana not knowing how to express it.**_

"_**I know she's not herself but still, I can't stop this anger!" yelled Varundo punching a tree, "she's hurt my son! He might even die!"**_

"_**Varundo," worried Jivana.**_

"_**What's wrong with Koni," came Velia's little voice running over to them. She sat by her brother and shook him hard.**_

"_**Come on! Wake up brother! Wake up!" she cried loudly. Jivana picked her up and hugged her.**_

"_**Kumico please say you've found a cure," said Jivana.**_

"_**No, this venom is serious, the three girls are almost dead and the victim before Koni has barely any response in his muscles, they're all dying a painful slow death, without a sample, I can't make an anti-venom," said Kumico.**_

"_**Brother can't die! He can't!" struggled Velia getting away from her mother and going back to Koni.**_

"_**Wake up! Wake up!" she shook him again.**_

"_**Krysta's gone after Rusuta, but I don't know if she can get a sample in time, Rusuta's not acting like herself at all," said Jivana sadly.**_

_**Back at the encampment Rusuta was up a tree keeping watch but really she just wanted to be alone. She felt torn, she wanted to be here with her father and Umani, but what her mother had said, was she really venomous? Was Koni going to die? She felt so guilty.**_

"_**My rune doesn't hurt and I'm not sick anymore, so why am I in pain, I'm happy here, my father loves me, I'm safe and wanted here, and Umani, I don't understand these feelings I have for him, he looks at me and it's like nothing else matters," she sighed sadly, "I can't leave, even if I wanted to, my legs won't move." Rusuta looked down and thought she saw someone coming. She jumped down to engage the intruder but was surprised to find it was Krysta.**_

"_**Mother?" she said confused.**_

"_**Rusuta, I've found you," she said tired.**_

"_**Have you come to take me away?" she glared hatefully.**_

"_**No, I haven't," she started but there was another there.**_

"_**Why Trinket, so nice to see you," it was Orochimaru with Umani close behind.**_

"_**Father," worried Rusuta.**_

"_**I haven't come to fight," said Krysta.**_

"_**That's a pity, I was looking forward to finishing you off," sneered Orochimaru.**_

"_**Please don't shun me, not this time," said Krysta sadly and Orochimaru looked at her interested.**_

"_**Rusuta, go with Umani, I need to talk to Krysta alone," he said and Rusuta nodded and left.**_

"_**You've not come to fight and your runes aren't even flaring, this is the second most submissive you've ever looked Trinket," he told her walking over to her.**_

"_**I'm worried about Rusuta, she's drinking blood and she shouldn't be, it shouldn't have passed to her," she told him.**_

"_**Neither should she have my venom, but, here we are," he chuckled.**_

"_**What have you done to her, if you've hurt her in any way," glared Krysta but Orochimaru laughed.**_

"_**She was sick and weak, she hadn't eaten for weeks and do you know why? Ever since her fifteenth birthday her body has needed blood to sustain it, how could you not see it, you of all people," he asked her.**_

"_**She kept it hidden from me," said Krysta quietly.**_

"_**Rusuta would have died had I not given her blood, it may seem unfortunate that she has now become dependant but you should think of the power it's given to her. She likes it Krysta, she likes every single victim's pathetic screams, she's just like you, except she can feel, and she's loyal. She won't betray me," he sneered at her, "our little flower's finally bloomed Krysta and she's chosen me, I don't need the star anymore, I've got her."**_

"_**She's not the only one you have," said Krysta as he went to leave her. Orochimaru looked back at her suspiciously.**_

"_**I won't let you have her alone, she might not realise but she needs me, and if this is where her heart is happy, then…" she said trailing off and he came back to her and pinned her to a tree.**_

"_**Think before you speak Krysta!" he hissed at her, "if you do this I will never let you leave me again! You'll be mine just as she is! Forever!"**_

"_**Why would I leave, when I still, I still love you," she said starting to cry. Orochimaru sneered at her and held her face gently with his hands.**_

"_**Prove it," he told her sneering evilly.**_

"_**What's mother doing here? If she doesn't want to take me away?" questioned Rusuta.**_

"_**Perhaps she is smarter than Koni was," said Umani.**_

"_**You don't think mother has come to actually stay here, do you?" she wondered interested.**_

"_**Whilst I don't think it's likely, there is always possibilities," he smiled moving closer to her, Umani went to kiss her but Rusuta pushed him away.**_

"_**Umani no, what if mother's right, what if I'm poisonous," she worried covering her mouth.**_

"_**You worry too much Ru," he smiled stroking her hair, "tomorrow we take this key and we find the tower. After that we simply return to Tsunade and then we can leave this place and go back to the Sound Village, together." Rusuta cuddled up to him again.**_

"_**I can't wait to see it," she sighed happily.**_

"_**We need the star," said Jivana kneeling beside her son watching over him.**_

"_**Or at least Alana," worried Varundo standing with her.**_

"_**Oh Varundo, what if we lose him, this is breaking my heart," sobbed Jivana.**_

"_**Then this will break it further," came a dark voice in the trees.**_

"_**Who's there!" cried Varundo and a dark figure appeared standing by a tree.**_

"_**Who are you?" Varundo continued.**_

"_**You'll know soon enough," said the figure, "I've come to tell you that you're wasting your time. You will never get the anti-venom because Krysta has returned to Orochimaru also."**_

"_**You're lying!" growled Varundo.**_

"_**I don't have any reason to. As we speak Krysta and Orochimaru are rekindling their vile union with Rusuta happily content in the arms of her brainwashed love," laughed the figure.**_

"_**Brainwashed?" said Jivana interested.**_

"_**You're so stupid, Krysta should have seen it the moment she defended her father instead of listening to reason. Rusuta has been under Orochimaru's control the moment she first took blood, now Umani has abused that further and made her believe she is in love with him. At this rate Orochimaru will have control of all of you pathetic Blood Creed," the figure told them.**_

"_**Varundo, that makes sense, Rusuta would never hurt Koni on her own," said Jivana trying to calm down Varundo.**_

"_**Then why are you, obviously a Sound Ninja, telling us of this," said Varundo suspiciously.**_

"_**Perhaps I'm as disgusted by these events as you? My motives are my own, I'll be watching and when you are ready I'll take you to the encampment, but I'd hurry and get ready if I were you, once Umani and Rusuta pass the exam they will return to the Sound Village where I doubt you'll have another chance to save Rusuta, she'll be too far gone by then," said the figure disappearing into the darkness.**_

"_**Ready? We're ready, we'd just need to leave Koni, we can't cure him without the anti-venom?" said Jivana confused.**_

"_**If that man is right you will need Koni, I have a feeling only he can stop Rusuta long enough to foil this new evil plan," said Kumico appearing.**_

"_**Why would Krysta go back to him?" sighed Jivana.**_

"_**She said she would get the anti-venom one way or another, maybe this is the only way," said Varundo.**_

_**Later the three went to sleep and Velia crept out of her bed and over to her ailing brother.**_

"_**Please don't die Koni, you're supposed to train me, and teach me to be like you, please don't die Koni," sobbed Velia sadly. Koni's rune glowed warmly, he was trying desperately to regenerate but Rusuta's venom was making him weaker.**_

"_**Rusuta, Rusuta come back," he thought, he was dreaming. He was in the forest and in the distance he could see Rusuta. She was tied up to a rock and he tried to reach her.**_

"_**Koni," he heard her cry out but suddenly Koni couldn't move and Umani arrived on a black horse. He freed Rusuta and she climbed onto the horse in order for her to leave with Umani.**_

"_**Rusuta, Rusuta no don't go with him!" he cried out. As Velia watched him his rune glowed fiercely and he struggled to breathe.**_

"_**No, no brother! Don't die! Don't die!" Velia started to cry panicking. Dawn had come and the orange light bathed everything in the clearing in a dim glow.**_

"_**Velia, what's wrong," said Jivana having woken up.**_

"_**Brother, brother!" she continued to cry as Koni's pain became worse.**_

"_**It's a spasm, the poison's reached his heart, I'm sorry," said Kumico examining him.**_

"_**No!" cried Jivana realising what that meant.**_

"_**No! No! No! Brother wake up! I mean it wake up right now!" screamed Velia and suddenly a red flash burst out of her back.**_

"_**Jivana," said Varundo seeing it. Jivana hugged Velia trying to make sure she was ok but suddenly realised,**_

"_**Velia, Velia you're bleeding!" **_

"_**It can't be," gasped Varundo. Jivana turned Velia round and on her back her winged rune was glowing and bleeding, enacting for the first time.**_

"_**What's wrong mommy?" asked Velia.**_

"_**Nothing Velia, it's finally happened, you're rune, it's active," said Jivana letting the blood pool into her hands to show Velia, it glowed dimly still.**_

"_**It doesn't help Koni," said Velia still crying, suddenly a few of her tears fell into the pool of blood and a sudden reaction burst a blue light out of the pool. When the light faded the pool was blue and Jivana could feel it pulsing with soothing energy.**_

"_**Kumico, what's happening?" asked Jivana.**_

"_**I can't believe it's possible, but it is, Blood Creed Alchemy, Alchemy of a high priest level, that is most unmistakably a healing potion, Velia is a healer, which is why her rune has taken this long to enact," said Kumico amazed.**_

"_**Will it cure Koni?" worried Varundo.**_

"_**No harm in trying it, it's our last hope," said Jivana getting Velia to open Koni's mouth so she could give some to him, she poured the rest onto his decaying wound. As it hit the wound it fizzed and healed leaving not even a scar and Koni's spasm ceased.**_

"_**Brother, brother," said Velia hopeful and Koni began to wake up.**_

"_**Mom, dad? Kumico, Velia?" he said confused, "I, I thought I was a goner?"**_

"_**Oh Koni!" cried Jivana hugging him relieved.**_

"_**Brother's ok! Brothers ok!" cheered Velia happily.**_

"_**Thanks goodness," said Varundo.**_

"_**But how, I thought there was no cure for the poison?" asked Koni.**_

"_**It seems your little sister is a Blood Creed Alchemist, her blood plus the elements in her tears created the perfect potion," smiled Kumico and Koni turned to his little sister.**_

"_**You saved me?" he said and Velia hugged him tightly.**_

"_**Never die on me again!" she sobbed happily.**_

"_**You're bleeding, your rune, it's alive," he said realising.**_

"_**What's all the commotion?" asked Naruto waking up with Jarriya.**_

"_**Koni's alive," smiled Varundo.**_

"_**No way! Yeah we found a way to beet the venom!" cheered Naruto.**_

"_**And just in time," came the dark voice of the figure in the trees again.**_

"_**You again," said Varundo looking towards the trees he was hidden by. However the figure walked out into the dim dawn light and revealed that the sudden help came from Orochimaru's long haired shabby youth, Sasuke.**_

"_**It's been a long time Naruto," he said.**_

"_**You know me?" asked Naruto clueless.**_

"_**Sasuke," gasped Jivana amazed as to what had happened to him, "you're going to help us?"**_

"_**I'm going to take you to the encampment, after that I have no intention of doing anything," he said.**_

"_**Sasuke!" cried Naruto overjoyed, "Where ya been man, we knew you weren't dead oh my god Sakura's gonna freak when she sees you, I can't wait to see her face!" cheered Naruto.**_

"_**Naruto in case you haven't realised I don't think he's on our side anymore," said Jarriya pointing out the Sound bandana.**_

"_**Sasuke? You're a Sound Ninja now?" gasped Naruto.**_

"_**It's none of your business," snapped Sasuke.**_

"_**You're on his side, and you're going to help us?" said Varundo.**_

"_**Trust you to be suspicious, I don't care either way I just thought you could use a hand before you say goodbye to Rusuta and Krysta for good," he sneered going to leave but Koni ran up to him.**_

"_**I don't know what you're playing at Sasuke but if you can take me to Rusuta I'll go with you," said Koni.**_

"_**We're going too," said Jivana coming with Varundo.**_

"_**Don't forget us," said Naruto.**_

"_**I'll stay here and help Velia cure the others, be careful please!" said Kumico and Sasuke took the group away to rescue Rusuta.**_

_**Krysta woke up on a mound of silk pillows covered in a thin sheet, she felt dirty and sick, nothing like the first time, maybe it's because she'd been lying the whole time.**_

"_**I hope Rusuta didn't see anything of that," said Krysta getting dressed as quickly as she could and trying to leave the tent, however Orochimaru stood in her way at the door.**_

"_**Morning Trinket," he glared evilly at her.**_

"_**Good morning," Krysta said surprised.**_

"_**Where do you think you're going?" he sneered pushing her back into the tent.**_

"_**I think I should be allowed to see my daughter," huffed Krysta.**_

"_**There I was thinking you wanted to see me," he sneered holding her neck, "you haven't changed you know? It was just as easy as last time, panting and moaning, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were in pain. But I know you, you enjoyed every minute of it." He chuckled evilly thinking about what he'd done to her overnight, Krysta was angry but kept her temper, her mission was to find Rusuta and get her out of there and bring her to Koni to save his life, she couldn't allow herself to get sidetracked.**_

"_**Where's Rusuta?" she asked.**_

"_**About to leave with Umani, you know, he has made the most excellent partner for our little flower, he's strong and ruthless and they make such a team. He provides the music, Rusuta provides the killer dancing, I'm yet to see anyone defeat them," he smiled letting Krysta out to see where Rusuta was dancing for Umani. Krysta felt her head throb.**_

"_**Ugh, that song, how can she listen to it," she said painfully.**_

"_**Modern music," laughed Orochimaru.**_

_**Krysta went over to her daughter and Umani stopped playing, Rusuta turned to see her mother but stayed still, she was still wary of her.**_

"_**Rusuta are you ok?" asked Krysta.**_

"_**Yes, are you?" wondered Rusuta looking at the cuts on Krysta's arms.**_

"_**I'm fine, I just wanted to tell you I'm staying, I'm staying for good," she told her and Rusuta's eyes lit up happily.**_

"_**Oh mother!" she cried hugging her happily, "we're finally going to be a family."**_

"_**Yes, we are, Rusuta I know you have to go but before I can commit here I have to take a sample of your venom to Kumico, if I don't Koni is going to die," she told her.**_

"_**If you go, you won't come back," she said wary.**_

"_**No I will come back I promise," Krysta replied urgently.**_

"_**Let her go Rusuta, you can't let the poor fool die, after all he was merely following his heart," sneered Umani and Rusuta nodded.**_

"_**Alright, take what you need, just tell Koni, please just tell him," said Rusuta as Umani held her hand, "that I love Umani and I don't want him coming after me anymore."**_

"_**I will," smiled Krysta. Rusuta opened her mouth revealing that during her time with Orochimaru fangs had indeed grown in and carefully Krysta was able to get a sample of her venom into a little glass tube.**_

"_**Good luck today, make me proud," smiled Krysta bidding her farewell so she could go for the test.**_

_**Rusuta and Umani left but before Krysta could make her escape Orochimaru appeared by her side.**_

"_**You wish to help the boy I see," he sneered.**_

"_**I promised I'd come back, I can't let Koni die," she told him firmly.**_

"_**I'd expect no less from the Blood Creed Princess," he chuckled, "always thinking of your subjects."**_

"_**Rusuta's venom is an unfortunate coincidence Koni should not have to die because my daughter did not know she was poisoning everyone she fought," snapped Krysta not liking his patronising tone.**_

"_**Tell me something, what do you think of Umani's music?" he asked her pulling her closer to him.**_

"_**Not that it matters but I hate it, it gives me a headache every time I hear it, can't he play anything else but that ear piercing song?" she complained.**_

"_**Rusuta likes it, I'm sure you could learn too," he smiled evilly tightening his grip.**_

"_**What are you…" she said alarmed before he kissed her.**_

"_**Wike et la tat A cyn sya, tuk bo rike en roft ef A, leep en hen teers A kit ror boee, zakmet ike keta arene ef boee," he whispered to her. Krysta suddenly felt her body go limp, he held onto her tighter.**_

"_**Cono oen ayte ga'll meta ginia, en hen yukumaness ga renka dismike…" he finished. It was the same charm as the one used on Rusuta but this was the Yulikan script, it was stronger than the translated version, the only way to ensure the charm worked on the strong willed Krysta.**_

"_**Krysta! Krysta! Wake up!" cried Alana realising what he was doing but it was already too late Krysta's eyes were closed as if she were sleeping and Orochimaru smiled as the vial of venom dropped out of her hands on rolled down the slight hill.**_

"_**I told you I'd never let you leave me again Krysta," he smiled evilly, "you're going to stay here now, right beside me forever, all who wish to stop that are our enemy Krysta, don't you see now? We were meant to be together and nothing will ever change that." He kissed her again and Krysta started to wake up.**_

"_**What happened?" she said looking around confused.**_

"_**Come Trinket, let's go watch our little flower finish the exam," he told her taking her away with him.**_

"_**There's the encampment, just up this hill, good luck," smiled Sasuke stopping.**_

"_**Sasuke are you sure you won't come home, if he's done something to them what's to say he hasn't done something to you too," said Naruto.**_

"_**I don't want to go back, goodbye," replied Sasuke disappearing in the trees.**_

"_**Rusuta's close," said Koni running up the hill, Jivana and the others followed and soon they came to the shrouded entrance of the Sound Village encampment.**_

"_**I wonder why Krysta couldn't feel Rusuta was here?" wondered Naruto.**_

"_**Umani," said Koni, "it wouldn't surprise me if Umani was able to shroud their position, he can do so many other things. I hate it, he's so much better than me."**_

"_**Koni, no one can ever be better than you at what you do best, and that's being you, once Rusuta is free she'll see that I know she will. I know deep down, Rusuta loves you too," said Jivana comfortingly.**_

"_**Mom?" said Koni a little embarrassed.**_

"_**I knew before you tried to play hero honey, a mother knows," she smiled and Koni smiled back.**_

"_**You people are becoming a problem," came Umani's voice as he and Rusuta appeared having tried to continue with the exam. **_

"_**You!" growled Koni.**_

"_**Now you see that's funny, last we heard you were at death's door," sneered Umani.**_

"_**I'm glad you're alive Koni, but step aside, Umani and I have to finish the exam," said Rusuta.**_

"_**Velia is a healer, she healed me and is now healing all the other victims. Now I'm back you don't stand a chance Umani we're not holding back this time!" shouted Koni angrily.**_

"_**Don't Koni, I almost killed you once, don't make me do it again!" snapped Rusuta not really wanting to fight.**_

"_**That's interesting my dear, if you have a healer in your family, why would your mother need your venom?" sneered Umani.**_

"_**Because she was going to try and escape," said Orochimaru also arriving with Krysta beside him.**_

"_**Mother?" said Rusuta suspiciously.**_

"_**I know, but I was wrong. I'm not going anywhere Rusuta, my heart won't let me," she said standing strong beside Orochimaru.**_

"_**Krysta what are you saying!" cried Varundo.**_

"_**She's saying that she is staying with me, as is Rusuta. If you want to split us up you'll have to take it up with them," laughed Orochimaru evilly.**_

"_**Oh no, Varundo, I think he's got to Krysta too," worried Jivana.**_

"_**Umani you're battle is with me! I won't let you take Rusuta away from me!" cried Koni unleashing his sword.**_

"_**As you wish, Rusuta," sneered Umani starting to play. Rusuta rune flared angrily and Koni found himself fighting with Rusuta, but this time he wasn't going to go easy. As the flute played Krysta also felt her runes starting to flare, Orochimaru smiled.**_

"_**It doesn't matter what you've done to Krysta Orochimaru!" cried Jivana.**_

"_**Because we're going to stop you!" cried Varundo and the two unleashed their weapons and ran to fight. Orochimaru expected Krysta to just mindlessly fight like Rusuta but Umani's music wasn't strong enough to control them both.**_

"_**Destroy them," Krysta suddenly heard a voice in her head. Immediately she obeyed the command and started to fight with Jivana and Varundo. The command was from Orochimaru, he still had a telekinetic link with her even after all this time. The battles were rough with Krysta and Rusuta proving to be an even more powerful team than even Krysta's true group had ever been.**_

"_**Krysta! Wake up please!" cried Jivana fighting with her best friend. Jivana could see in Krysta's eyes that her blood lust had also enacted and she was starting to fight more out of the need to feed then Orochimaru's command.**_

"_**This is getting dangerous," said Varundo falling back for a moment.**_

"_**Varundo look, Rusuta's whip dance is much more energetic than Krysta's if we can push Krysta that way, maybe they'll tie each other up?" said Jivana and Varundo nodded.**_

"_**Koni!" called Varundo as he and Jivana started to fight as one person and drive Krysta back towards him. Koni got the idea and tried to do the same with Rusuta. However just as the two whips entangled both women stopped fighting so they didn't end up tangled too.**_

"_**Alana?" said Homaru sensing her.**_

"_**Homaru what's going on, I can't get through to Krysta at all," worried Alana.**_

"_**I've been unable to get through to Rusuta for several days, I tried, I tried to warn her not to take blood like her mother," he said guiltily.**_

"_**It's not your fault Rusuta obviously needs it," said Alana.**_

"_**Alana listen, that music, I know I've heard it before," said Homaru.**_

"_**I know, I feel it too, Orochimaru said something to Krysta before I lost contact, something in Yulikan," she replied.**_

"_**A Yulikan spell?" wondered Homaru but the two were stopped short in their conversation as the two whips untangled. Koni saw his mother was in danger and jumped in front of her to protect her crying out for Rusuta and Krysta to stop.**_

"_**Get rid of him," Krysta heard another command and started to laugh evilly. She held her whip above her head and her runes began to glow fiercely. Rusuta turned to them and her rune glowed too, suddenly Jivana's enacted.**_

"_**No!" shrieked Jivana realising.**_

"_**Krysta stop! Don't do it!" cried Varundo.**_

"_**What, what's happening!" cried Koni afraid as his rune started to bleed profusely and he was forced to his knees in pain.**_

"_**The Plasma Seal!" cried Naruto.**_

"_**Plasma Seal?" asked Jarriya.**_

"_**Krysta's ultimate attack, Koni's about to get turned to dust!" worried Naruto. Jarriya looked over the battlefield and could see Umani was still playing.**_

"_**It's up to us Naruto, you distract Umani, I have a plan," said Jarriya and the two snuck up on Umani.**_

_**Naruto started to attack but Umani was fast and was able to dodge and fight back, even without the music the Plasma Seal was still going to unleash.**_

"_**Do it!" Krysta heard that voice say and her blood started to create the seal mark.**_

"_**Enemy of the Creed, now thy shall bleed, blood of the just seal away the dry dust!" cried Krysta.**_

"_**Krysta no please!" cried Jivana in pain.**_

"_**Plasma…" she cried before they all heard a tremendous shattering.**_

"_**I've had just about enough of this flute and it's player, haven't you?" smiled Jarriya heroically having snapped the flute in two, in a moment he shattered the flute into a million pieces and the Plasma Seal stopped.**_

"_**No!" cried Umani being held by Naruto.**_

"_**Ah! What happened?" cried Krysta holding her head in pain, Jarriya had broken the spell.**_

"_**Krysta, are you ok?" asked Alana.**_

"_**Alana?" she said hearing her.**_

"_**Oh thank goodness," she replied.**_

_**Koni was able to stand again and could see that Rusuta was also waking up from the spell, he ran over to comfort her.**_

"_**Rusuta," he said letting her know he was there, she was in a lot of pain, she'd been under so long she was groggy and weakened by the sudden release.**_

"_**Koni, what, what happened to me," she gasped painfully.**_

"_**It's ok now, Umani's spell is broken, you're…" he said but as soon as he said Umani's name Rusuta broke away from him realising Umani was being attacked and quickly disposed of Naruto.**_

"_**Are you ok," she asked him.**_

"_**Perfectly," he replied.**_

"_**What! No! The spell's supposed to be broken!" cried Koni unable to believe Rusuta still loved Umani.**_

"_**Koni I told you, I love Umani," she called back standing to protect him.**_

"_**How is that possible?" said Jivana helping Krysta.**_

"_**Alana what's going on?" asked Krysta.**_

"_**Orochimaru has been using an old Yulikan spell to control Rusuta, it was so powerful he even got it to work on you, Umani was using his flute as the trigger but now it's been destroyed you're back to normal, although apparently Rusuta is still under the affects," explained Alana.**_

"_**There's another trigger, there has to be," said Krysta getting ready to fight again.**_

"_**Umani! Rusuta! Let's get out of here, forget the test!" said Orochimaru going to leave.**_

"_**Come on Rusuta," said Umani going to lead her away but Koni grabbed her by the wrist again.**_

"_**Oh no, you're not running away this time! Rusuta's staying with me!" he glared hatefully.**_

"_**Koni let me go!" cried Rusuta but Koni wouldn't let her go. Suddenly Koni's rune flashed and Rusuta's reacted.**_

"_**I wish it would stop doing that," said Koni painfully holding the rune.**_

"_**Koni…" said Rusuta, Koni looked back and Rusuta was smiling, she was ok again.**_

"_**Rusuta, you're ok," he smiled.**_

"_**Koni I…" she said before her rune changed it's glow and she pulled herself away before running off with Umani.**_

"_**No! Not again!" cried Koni going to run after them but Jarriya held him back.**_

"_**She's just a skirt kid, not worth losing you're life over!" he cried as Koni struggled.**_

"_**She was awake, she knew it was me! He made her go with him again! I know it!" struggled Koni.**_

"_**Koni calm down," said Varundo and Jarriya let him go.**_

"_**She was awake, I know she was," he panted.**_

"_**I know," said Krysta.**_

"_**She looked the same to me?" said Jivana.**_

"_**Rusuta's rune doesn't glow that colour naturally, that change in her life sign, I understand now. Umani doesn't need his flute to control her, Orochimaru's been doing it all along," glared Krysta.**_

"_**How?" said Varundo and Krysta showed them a small inactive rune mark just under the palm of her hand.**_

"_**My marriage, it gave Orochimaru a rune mark on his wrist in the same place as mine, it's completely for show but, it means he can connect to both me and Rusuta whenever he wants. He can already speak to me so he doesn't need the rune to do that but he's been using it to talk to Rusuta, probably all her life since that day," she said sadly.**_

"_**How can we stop him?" asked Koni.**_

"_**We can't," she said bluntly, "we can't stop the link, Rusuta will just have to ignore him, but right now it is that very power that is keeping her under his control."**_

"_**If we can't stop the power, Rusuta will be like this forever," worried Jivana.**_

"_**I don't care," snapped Koni running off.**_

"_**Koni no!" cried Naruto.**_

"_**Let him go, if anyone can break this evil curse, it's him," said Varundo.**_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Koni's Last Stand**_

_**Orochimaru, Kabuto, Umani and Rusuta had made it out of the area and were now travelling back to the Sound Village.**_

"_**Now what?" said Kabuto.**_

"_**Once we're back in the Sound Village Krysta won't be able to find us, and by the time she figures it all out Rusuta will be married to Umani and Krysta will never have her daughter back. So I haven't destroyed her, or even captured her, I have Rusuta and with her power the Sound Village will become the strongest of all the Ninja Villages," smiled Orochimaru triumphantly.**_

"_**Always looking on the positive," he smiled evilly.**_

"_**Umani, where are we going?" asked Rusuta confused.**_

"_**We're going home to the Sound Village, where no one can try to split us up again," he told her keeping a good look out for Koni, he was afraid that Koni wouldn't give up and without his flute he was unsure just how much control he truly had over Rusuta. Suddenly they came to a clearing and Kabuto and Orochimaru walked to the edge.**_

"_**The Sound Village isn't far," Orochimaru said to his daughter.**_

"_**I'm ready father," she told him.**_

"_**I know you are," he smiled evilly.**_

"_**Not so fast!" cried Koni leaping out of one of the trees, he'd followed them well.**_

"_**You again," growled Orochimaru.**_

"_**I won't let you take Rusuta away, I don't care what hold you have over her, I love her and will fight to the end for her," Koni said brandishing his blade.**_

"_**Koni," said Rusuta sadly.**_

"_**Rusuta, please don't go," he begged her and Rusuta walked over to him.**_

"_**Koni I have to go, it's where I belong," she told him calmly.**_

"_**She belongs there with me," said Umani walking over.**_

"_**No, no you don't you belong with me, and your mother, we love you more than anyone, please, just come home," he pleaded with her. Orochimaru smiled evilly before Koni saw him place is forefinger to a small area below his left wrist, the marriage rune. Rusuta's rune sparked and flashed and she cried out a little in pain.**_

"_**Stop it, you're hurting her!" cried Koni before Umani ambushed him from the side.**_

_**Koni pushed Umani off of him and the two started to fight, even though Koni had defeated him before Umani was suddenly showing a level of fighting ability he'd hidden before.**_

"_**Kabuto, go on ahead, once Krysta comes I'll finish this myself," Orochimaru told his cohort going over to Rusuta who was watching the fight numbly. Umani's mist ability allowed him to do more than just get out of Koni's holds, it also meant he could instantly disappear and attack again from another angle, it was as if Koni was facing several opponents at once, but Koni would still not back down even as Umani's shurukin sliced his arms and torso several times.**_

"_**Give up Koni, you can still live if you stop now," glared Umani holding him up by the neck going to slice his throat open.**_

"_**I'll never let you win," he struggled hatefully. Koni grabbed Umani's throat and cried,**_

"_**Rock Fist Jutsu!" Umani gasped for breath as the rock started to strangle him and he let go of Koni who than snapped the rock off at his wrist and braced to fight again.**_

"_**You're finished Umani!" cried Koni slashing his sword at Umani, however Umani simply dodged and in a few moves had crumbled the rock around his throat so he could breathe again. Umani unleashed his deadly shurukin ball and ran at Koni ruthlessly. Metal clinked and smashed together as the pair duelled and Rusuta continued to watch on.**_

"_**Koni, why are you fighting for me, I'm not worth you dying for," she thought to herself sadly. Rusuta's rune continued to glow but it wasn't hurting anymore, it was like a chain keeping her from moving away from him, Rusuta looked up at Orochimaru, he was enjoying this battle and was eager to see Koni slaughtered. Koni and Umani stopped for a moment, both were exhausted from the fight, Umani was becoming frustrated he couldn't just destroy Koni and was amazed Koni still would not give up.**_

"_**Give it up, you really think even if you kill me that Rusuta will love you! You're stupid and weak, you are nothing compared to me!" said Umani spitefully.**_

"_**You can't hold a candle to what Rusuta and I have been through, we were always there for each other through thick and thin, we saved our parents together, we trained together, all we wanted was to pass this exam together. The exam doesn't matter now, and neither does anything else, because as long as we're together, Rusuta and I will do anything we want to! No one can stand in our way! You might have found a way to control her thoughts and body but you'll never take her heart, and that's why I will defeat you Umani! I'll defeat you, because everything you two have done together is an illusion, you're nothing but an illusion, none of this is real, it never has been. I love Rusuta, now that's real!" shouted Koni going to attack with his sword again.**_

"_**Koni," thought Rusuta coming away from Orochimaru a little. Rusuta's rune sparked again and Rusuta stayed still. As she watched them she started to feel every cut they made into each other.**_

"_**Umani, Koni, please just stop," she thought to herself a small tear falling from her eyes.**_

"_**Rusuta you know I can't climb!" cried Koni's squeaky voice. Rusuta was up a tree laughing, Koni was merely eleven and his voice was breaking, Rusuta loved to tease him.**_

"_**You still got to catch me!" she teased.**_

"_**Rusuta come down, you're going way higher than normal!" worried Koni.**_

"_**Koni you worry about me too much," Rusuta giggled stepping onto another branch, unfortunately this one was far too thin for her and it snapped sending her hurtling to the ground.**_

"_**Koni!" she screamed falling and luckily Koni was able to brake her fall as she landed on him.**_

"_**Are you alright Rusuta?" he asked worried.**_

"_**Thanks to you, you really did catch me," she smiled embarrassed a little.**_

"_**It's no wonder I worry so much when you keep falling out of fifty foot trees, let's hope there never a time when you need me and I'm not there," worried Koni.**_

"_**That'll never happen Koni, you never let me out of your sight long enough," giggled Rusuta and Koni blushed.**_

"_**And I never will, you get into way too much trouble for me not to be there, yep you and me are sticking together forever," he said folding his arms. Rusuta giggled hugging him childishly.**_

"_**You'll always be my best friend Koni, I'm not going anywhere," she giggled kissing him on the forehead before bounding back up the tree.**_

"_**Catch me!" she called down as Koni stood up and sighed trying to follow her.**_

"_**You're my best friend Koni…" Rusuta thought to herself remembering everything they had done together.**_

"_**Koni…" she stuttered starting to cry, her rune sparked painfully but Rusuta didn't care and ran out onto the battlefield.**_

"_**Koni!" she screamed to him. Koni and Umani stopped to see Rusuta running up to them.**_

"_**Rusuta!" Koni called running over.**_

"_**I'm not losing her now," growled Orochimaru and Rusuta's rune flared angrily making her cry out stopping dead in her tracks.**_

"_**Stop it, stop it please!" she cried out in pain grabbing her wrist and Koni held onto her trying to help.**_

"_**You have to fight it Rusuta, please wake up! Don't let him take you again! Fight it!" he cried comfortingly.**_

"_**I want to, but, it's too painful," she sobbed painfully into him, "don't let me go, don't let me go!"**_

"_**Never, I'll never let you go again, I promise," he told her and she started to quieten.**_

"_**Get away from her! She's mine!" cried Umani angrily but Koni held on tightly and his rune started to react.**_

"_**My rune," he struggled in pain before remembering something, "every time my rune flares, Rusuta wakes up." Koni grabbed Rusuta's wrist and held it tightly to his rune, the sparks hurt him badly but it soon quietened and Rusuta looked up at him relieved.**_

"_**You, you stopped it," she said numbly.**_

"_**It's ok Rusuta, it's ok now. You don't have to be afraid, I'm not letting them take you away again, I love you Rusuta," he panted relieved. Rusuta smiled happily through her tears and replied, **_

"_**I love you too Koni." Koni was overjoyed and pulled her close to kiss her, the energy of the two runes flared all over the clearing stopping Orochimaru and Umani from getting to them and acted as a beacon to Krysta and the others who were amazed when they arrived at the sight they saw in front of them.**_

"_**Koni," sighed Jivana happily.**_

"_**He did it," smiled Varundo proudly.**_

"_**I can't believe it," said Krysta amazed.**_

"_**Oh yeah! The power of love conquers all!" cheered Jarriya.**_

"_**Oh Jarriya do you know how corny that line is," said Naruto exasperated. Koni let go of Rusuta and the glow dimmed, Rusuta smiled happily, her pain was gone and she felt so happy.**_

"_**Koni, I'm so sorry," she told him guiltily.**_

"_**It's ok," he laughed happily. However Umani was angry and was not about to let Rusuta be taken from him without a fight. He rushed up to them and grabbed Rusuta dragging her away from him and holding her firmly captive.**_

"_**Let me go Umani!" cried Rusuta.**_

"_**Let it end Umani, Rusuta's chosen, you've lost, you don't need to hurt her anymore!" glared Koni.**_

"_**Rusuta are you ok?" she heard Homaru say.**_

"_**Homaru? Where have you been?" she asked.**_

"_**I'll explain later, looks like you're back to normal, we better get out of this," said Homaru.**_

"_**You're telling me," giggled Rusuta, "Snake Skin Jutsu!" suddenly Umani couldn't hold onto her as the constitution of her skin changed and she writhed away from him.**_

"_**Sorry Umani I'm not listening to you anymore, I knew something was up these past few days, I'm just sorry I didn't see it sooner," said Rusuta unleashing her whip.**_

"_**Rusuta, come on," said Umani a little unnerved.**_

"_**Sorry Umani, nothing's breaking up this team, not even slimy Sound Village tricks," laughed Koni joining Rusuta.**_

"_**Don't forget about us," smiled Krysta leading her team into the clearing, "Orochimaru this is the end, you've hurt me and my family long enough!"**_

"_**Truly, I wish to end this fight once for all myself, I'm going to litter this clearing with you and take my daughter back to the Sound Village where she belongs!" laughed Orochimaru and suddenly a huge snake launched out of the ground and Orochimaru road its back as it lunged at Krysta and her friends.**_

"_**Oh no, not again," worried Rusuta looking at her mother fighting with the snake.**_

"_**They can handle it, let's take care of Umani," said Koni pinning Umani to a tree with his sword.**_

"_**It doesn't matter what you do, Rusuta's coming with us," laughed Umani evilly.**_

"_**Rusuta I don't think Krysta can handle a giant snake on her own," said Homaru.**_

"_**You're right, but what can I do, this is all my fault," she worried.**_

"_**I think it's time I shared a little secret with you, I can still turn into a snake," he chuckled.**_

"_**You mean it?" said Rusuta.**_

"_**Yep," replied Homaru giving Rusuta an idea.**_

"_**I'm going to help my mother, you take care of Umani!" called Rusuta running off to where Krysta, Jivana and Varundo were holding off Orochimaru's snake.**_

"_**What can we do," worried Jivana.**_

"_**Not even I can jump that high," said Varundo.**_

"_**My whip's not long enough," worried Krysta and suddenly the snake opened it's jaws wide and lunged forward to eat the three of them.**_

"_**Blood Creed Summoning! Snake God Homaru!" they heard a cry as Rusuta lunged her whip at the snake. Suddenly the whip grew skin and bulk and turned into huge light green hooded cobra. Rusuta stood upon it's head and Krysta and the others upon the tail.**_

"_**Homaru, this is amazing," said Rusuta amazed.**_

"_**How did she," said Jarriya.**_

"_**She didn't even need blood," said Naruto annoyed.**_

"_**You see Rusuta, every new power makes you more like me every day, you must see that you belong with me," smiled Orochimaru looking at the beautifully formed cobra she stood on.**_

"_**Please stop this father, enough. I don't want you and mother to fight," called Rusuta.**_

"_**Sorry but that's not really your call," he laughed attacking again.**_

"_**Homaru do something," said Rusuta and the cobra flicked it's tail up sending Krysta Jivana and Varundo towards Orochimaru's snake, they landed on it's head.**_

"_**You're finally where I want you Orochimaru!" glared Krysta and Orochimaru recognised the position she and her friends were getting into.**_

"_**Afraid not," he laughed jumping down to the ground. The snake disappeared and Krysta and her friends landed soon after he did. Meanwhile Umani and Koni were still fighting.**_

"_**You just don't give up," said Koni.**_

"_**I could say the same thing about you!" sneered Umani slamming Koni over the head with his shurukin ball knocking him to the ground.**_

"_**Koni! Homaru let's get down there," cried Rusuta and Homaru let her down before turning back into her whip.**_

"_**Koni are you ok," she said kneeling beside him to protect him.**_

"_**Ouch," he said dazed.**_

"_**Don't worry I won't let him get you, this is all going to end, right now," Rusuta glared at Umani.**_

"_**Rusuta come now, you don't want to hurt me?" said Umani but Rusuta wasn't in the mood.**_

"_**I don't know what's going on, I've been so happy these past days but I knew all the time something was wrong, now I find you trying to kill Koni? Koni and I have and always will be together so why should I not want to hurt you!" she snapped angrily.**_

"_**Because I brought you back to your father, come on, you know what a good time we've had, you want to throw it all away for that piece of dirt?" said Umani and Rusuta slashed her whip at him.**_

"_**You worm!" she shrieked, "I love my father! I'd have gone with him with or without you! I'm grateful you brought us together again but nothing you've done has made you worthy of me!" Rusuta held her whip over her head ready to strike Umani down but suddenly her rune sparked again and she dropped the handle in shock and pain.**_

"_**No!" cried Koni seeing.**_

"_**But, this shouldn't," cried Rusuta holding her wrist in pain.**_

"_**How? Koni cured her!" snapped Krysta and Orochimaru started laughing evilly.**_

"_**It doesn't matter how many times you break the connection, it's still there! It will always be there! My blood runs through her body, in more ways than one!" he laughed evilly.**_

"_**K, Koni, I can't," struggled Rusuta.**_

"_**Rusuta, don't let him win, please!" cried Koni standing.**_

"_**Don't you get it yet," laughed Umani, "that wasn't medicine your father gave you Rusuta, it was blood, his blood!" Rusuta looked back at him shocked but also scared, how could her father be doing this to her?**_

"_**Krysta can he really do this?" worried Jivana.**_

"_**I can't understand this, how could he have learned so much about Yukusha's most complex Jutsu, even be able to carry them out. Loopholes and weaknesses, everything Rusuta's gone through because of what she is and now the thirst she needs in order to live, it's all come to a head. With Orochimaru's power to speak to even me in my mind, he doesn't even need the marriage rune, but that, his power and now it seems his blood. He's closed off every escape route for Rusuta, I, I don't know what to do," worried Krysta overwhelmed by the whole complexity.**_

"_**You mean as long as Rusuta has Orochimaru's blood, he can control her!" cried Varundo.**_

"_**Here how about I show you," sneered Orochimaru, "Rusuta my little flower, get rid of Koni and then we can leave for the village."**_

"_**Rusuta, Rusuta no!" cried Koni seeing her blank over again.**_

"_**I'm sorry," she gasped before leaping at him with her whip.**_

"_**Orochimaru stop this!" cried Krysta slashing her whip at him.**_

"_**You can if you want. You and Rusuta come to the Sound Village with me and I'll stop Rusuta from killing that little wimp of a Ninja," he glared evilly.**_

"_**You know I'll never join you! Let her go!" screamed Krysta starting to fight with Orochimaru again.**_

"_**We don't have a choice," said Varundo.**_

"_**Varundo no," worried Jivana.**_

"_**He's our son Jivana, even if it is Rusuta, we have to stop her," replied Varundo and he engaged his sword suddenly Krysta landed just in front of them, Umani had come to help Orochimaru and together they had managed to blow her back.**_

"_**You ok?" worried Jivana and Krysta got up.**_

"_**I'm fine, guys, I know you're worried about Koni, but there's only one way to end this, and it's going to take all three of us!" she said and all her runes began to glow.**_

"_**That old trick Krysta? You know you're yet to fully complete a seal without killing yourself," he taunted her.**_

"_**This time I've got no interruptions, no reasons to stop, no illnesses, this is it, this time the seal will work and it's going to take you and that punk Umani with you!" said Krysta and within moments Jivana and Varundo were in position.**_

"_**I wouldn't Krysta, how quickly do you think I could get Rusuta to jump in to protect me, you'll take her too," he laughed evilly.**_

"_**He's right," said Jivana.**_

"_**Not if we're fast, it's the last resort," said Krysta determined. Suddenly they heard a painful cry, Koni was completely laid out and Rusuta stood over him powerfully.**_

"_**Koni!" cried Jivana.**_

"_**Damn this we have to stop her!" growled Varundo.**_

"_**Koni, I, I don't want to do this," said Rusuta quietly, no one else could see but Rusuta was crying.**_

"_**Then please, stop," gasped Koni.**_

"_**I can't, my hunger, now I understand the pain mother's always in, why she has to do things she doesn't want to, I'm sorry Koni," she sobbed grabbing Koni by the neck and pulling him up again. Jivana and Varundo couldn't take it anymore and went to run to them to save their son when suddenly Krysta barred their path.**_

"_**Krysta get out of the way!" yelled Varundo.**_

"_**We have to save Koni!" yelled Jivana.**_

"_**Jivana, Varundo," she tried to reason with them but they heard Orochimaru laughing again.**_

"_**You can never defeat me Krysta I even have you three fighting amongst yourselves!" he laughed, "Rusuta finish him!"**_

"_**Rusuta," struggled Koni but Rusuta shook her head and closed her eyes.**_

"_**I won't look at you, while I do this," she told him and the clearing was suddenly filled with screaming as Rusuta bit hard into Koni's neck.**_

"_**Koni!" cried Jivana but Krysta still would not let her pass.**_

"_**She's going to poison him! Get out of the way!" cried Varundo trying to slam Krysta out of the way but she stood her ground.**_

_**The clearing glowed red as Koni's rune started to react again and his screaming began to die out.**_

"_**No, no Koni!" worried Jivana. Rusuta's rune started to react with Koni's energy and a shattering noise could be heard as it burst open with a fountain of blood. Rusuta let go of Koni completely and he slumped to the ground in pain but then looked up holding his neck in shock.**_

"_**Rusuta?" he wondered and Krysta and the others looked on in awe. Rusuta panted and then slumped down too.**_

"_**Thank, you, Koni, I knew, that, would work," she said fainting.**_

"_**Koni!" cried Varundo finally able to pass, Jivana came too.**_

"_**Mom, dad," he said trying to make sure Rusuta was ok but Krysta was there too and she helped make Rusuta comfortable on the grass.**_

"_**Is she ok," worried Koni.**_

"_**Her! What about you! Her venom!" worried Jivana.**_

"_**It's ok, Velia can cure me," said Koni watching Krysta stand from Rusuta and leave her on the ground.**_

"_**Koni, sit out of this, Jivana, Varundo, this ends now," she told them going back over to Orochimaru and Umani. Koni told his parents he was ok and reluctantly they left him to rejoin Krysta.**_

"_**What just happened?" worried Umani but Orochimaru wasn't laughing anymore, his wrist was bleeding badly, something had gone wrong and he was panting angrily.**_

"_**No matter what you do, what you learn, who you trick, where you try and hide, you will never hurt my family again, I'm making sure of that right now! Rusuta might be your daughter by blood but you have never earned the right for her to call you father! You know as well as I she has just undone all your hard work, work that's taken you ten years! Gone in ten minuets! You've lost your ace Orochimaru, now you're going to lose your life!" cried Krysta angrily her runes flaring up again.**_

"_**What do we do now sir?" said Umani.**_

"_**We? You little insect! You are going to fight them, and if you don't destroy them, don't ever come back to the Sound Village!" yelled Orochimaru in pain before disappearing into the trees.**_

"_**You're all alone now!" said Krysta evilly as Jivana and Varundo circled Umani.**_

"_**So, I won't let you beet me," glared Umani unleashing his Shurukin ball.**_

"_**Don't be a fool child, nothing you do can defeat us, surrender or die," said Varundo slashing his sword at him.**_

"_**Never, Orochimaru is counting on me, once I've destroyed you I'll take Rusuta where she belongs, you haven't won, I'll never let you win!" cried Umani before leaping at Krysta. Krysta blocked and the two went into a fight, however it wasn't long before Krysta had him tied up in her whip tightly, Krysta was angry and he was just far too weak compared to her skills.**_

"_**Let me go!" he cried painfully but Krysta only pulled tighter, she was too angry to let him live another moment. Suddenly Umani laughed and turned into mist to escape her whip, only when he appeared the group could see he was severally wounded by her blades.**_

"_**You're finished," glared Jivana but Umani continued to laugh before taking out some more shurukin and throwing them into the air. His hand emitted a powerful energy and he cried out,**_

"_**You think you've beaten me, but you're wrong, this is the end for you, killed by the stars you love, so ironic! Falling Star Jutsu!" **_

_**Krysta Jivana and Varundo looked up and could see several bright lights falling towards them. These were the shurukin Umani had thrown; they'd reacted with his energy and were now falling towards them like powerful comets.**_

"_**Those things will blow a creator in this whole forest!" cried Jivana.**_

"_**You fool! You'll kill us all!" cried Varundo.**_

"_**Orochimaru, I've done it," laughed Umani falling to the ground too injured to fight anymore.**_

"_**Krysta what do we do!" cried Jivana.**_

"_**Alana? Any ideas?" worried Krysta.**_

"_**Koni, get Rusuta out of here, run!" cried Varundo.**_

"_**But Dad, what about you!" worried Koni.**_

"_**Save yourself, if these comets hit, we're all dead, at least you'll survive if you run now," said Jivana bravely.**_

"_**Mom," sighed Koni picking up Rusuta and running away out of the clearing, Rusuta's sash came undone and fell away but Koni didn't stop.**_

_**Rusuta's sash suddenly turned into a snake and slithered over to Krysta and the others.**_

"_**Homaru?" wondered Krysta.**_

"_**I'll grow, climb on my back, then use the Plasma Seal, it's the only thing that can stop those stars," he told them.**_

"_**But Homaru, won't you…" worried Krysta worried that the seal would hurt him but Homaru had made up his mind and started to grow. Krysta, Jivana and Varundo climbed on and he thrust them up high into the sky where the stars were falling into view.**_

"_**We have to time this just right," said Jivana.**_

"_**You can do it, I know you can," said Homaru and Krysta's runes began to glow beginning the ritual. Jivana and Varundo got into position and the rune seal began to form.**_

"_**Enemy of the Creed, now thy shall bleed, blood of the just seal away the dry dust, I cast these stars into the Void of their name, send them back from whence they came!" cried Krysta and the whole rune started to flare and glow as the stars fell closer and closer, until finally.**_

"_**Krysta now!" cried Homaru drawing his head away leaving them still with the seal about to enact in mid air.**_

"_**Plasma Seal Jutsu!" cried Krysta just as the stars fell into the rune they stood around. The power was immense as the blood of Krysta and her friends wrapped around the stars and disintegrated them as they all fell back to the ground. Suddenly the explosion shook trees and scorched the canopy as it blew the three friends towards the ground with an incredible force. Thankfully the fateful stars had been stopped and the forest was saved.**_

_**Krysta opened her eyes and found herself tangled in the smashed roots of a tree. She looked around and Homaru came over to her smiling kindly.**_

"_**You did it," he smiled and Krysta was able to stand.**_

"_**Jivana, Varundo?" she worried looking around the clearing, a few trees had fallen but there was little real damage, Varundo and Jivana soon appeared having been buried under the foliage by the force of the explosion.**_

"_**Krysta, you're ok," said Jivana as they all met up in the clearing.**_

"_**No, no it can't be, you stopped the cataclysm, how could you stop it," they heard Umani say painfully where he lay now with his own legs trapped under a tree.**_

"_**This is not the death you deserve worm, if I had the strength I'd seal you too!" cried Krysta angrily, but now weakened by the seal.**_

"_**I'll survive this, I'll be back, you just…" said Umani before flinching in pain. Jivana gasped seeing that Homaru was attached to Umani's arm. Homaru hissed hatefully and returned to Krysta as Rusuta's sash.**_

"_**No, no!" coughed Umani in pain suddenly bringing up blood.**_

"_**Poison," sighed Jivana.**_

"_**Too bad it cannot be from Rusuta's own fangs," said Varundo.**_

"_**Koni, Rusuta, we should find them, no telling how far Koni could run with that venom in his veins again, come on, let's leave this piece of dirt to his fate," said Krysta walking off into the trees. Jivana and Varundo followed closely, worried for their son.**_

"_**Rusuta, Rusuta, please, remember me, I really did, love you, Ru…" gasped Umani finally dying from his injuries and the poison.**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Reflections**_

_**Koni had managed to make it all the way to the fort before the poison had rendered incapable of moving again, when Krysta and the others arrived Kumico was already tending to his wounds and Velia was working on a new batch of antidote.**_

"_**You survived," said Kumico seeing them, "I saw the comets from here, those would have destroyed us for sure."**_

"_**Koni," worried Jivana kneeling beside him.**_

"_**He'll be fine, Velia will have her new potion ready soon, all the other victims have been cured and are now recovering quickly. Rusuta is inside the fort, she's asleep but not in danger, she should be awake soon," explained Kumico.**_

"_**You should go to her," said Varundo and Krysta nodded going inside the fort. Rusuta was lying on a small wooden camp bed and there was a small fire in the corner of the room to keep her warm. Krysta sat on the bed beside her and laid Rusuta's sash beside her body. Her rune glowed dimly, it was back to normal too and though it looked sore it was healing well.**_

"_**Mother?" Krysta heard her daughter say dryly.**_

"_**It's alright Rusuta, I'm here," smiled Krysta softly.**_

"_**Where am I?" said Rusuta looking around her.**_

"_**You're safe in our encampment, the nightmare is over, you're back to normal and don't worry Koni's fine," she told her.**_

"_**I'm not normal mother," she sighed sadly. Suddenly Rusuta started to cough and twinge Krysta had to hold onto her as she sat up desperate to breathe.**_

"_**It's ok, it's ok, calm down, calm down," Krysta tried to comfort her and Rusuta's fit went away.**_

"_**What's happening now, oh mother, please, I'm in such pain," Rusuta sobbed painfully and Krysta helped her recline on the pillows before taking up a nearby bowl and pouring some blood from her flask into it.**_

"_**Here, I know you need it," said Krysta giving it to her.**_

"_**No, no I'll never drink again, no," said Rusuta afraid.**_

"_**Rusuta, it's ok, it won't hurt you, I, I hoped this wouldn't happen, I was so afraid that you'd need blood like me, but I thought that my thirst wasn't hereditary, my mother, she, she never needed it, but me, I always thought it was the fault of the Star. Rusuta, when I was just younger than you I was on my first mission with Jivana and Varundo. We found the Star and tried to steal it, it tore my body apart but the incident is what made Jivana, Varundo and I the people we are. My thirst didn't come till that day, the day my runes awoke; I was powerless till then, even with my whip. Rusuta, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I know how to help you and I will, I'll help you control it, please you just have to drink, you'll die without it," she explained. Rusuta sighed and let her mother help her drink, she felt a little better physically but mentally Rusuta was still badly hurt.**_

"_**It's not fair, I'm so useless," she sobbed upset.**_

"_**Useless? You're not useless Rusuta, the way you've fought, you've become so strong, the thirst will make you stronger I promise, you just have to give yourself time," Krysta tried to comfort her.**_

"_**Mother how can I live like this, my venom, it will kill anyone I try to drink from, it's not the same as yours," she continued to cry.**_

"_**You don't have to worry about that, when we're at home you can drink as I do, when you fight your enemy will die by your blade or your poison depending on the fight, this venom is not a handicap, just the result of how you were born. Your father also has venom, though I'm unsure of the potency. Homaru is poisonous too you know, perhaps this was bound to happen from the start," Krysta tried to make her understand.**_

"_**Father told me, he told me he loved me, he told me he wanted me to go with him to the Sound Village, I'm so confused," she confessed and Krysta sighed. Rusuta was still wearing the Sound bandana Orochimaru had given her; Krysta took it off of Rusuta's head and folded it neatly.**_

"_**Rusuta, I will never regret your birth, not even your blood. Your father and I are both the strongest Ninja that our kind has ever come across and because of that you are inherently strong. I only regret how you have suffered for your blood, so many times I've wished that we still lived in Yukusha where you could truly feel accepted and safe, where the three of us could be together and there would be no bad consequences. But my dream will never come true, Yukusha is gone and your father is nothing more than a power hungry villain. I love you Rusuta and I've tried to be there for you so you would never have to feel afraid. But I know it's not easy, and I know that right now you are more frightened than ever, the Leaf Village may no longer make you feel safe anymore. I know, I've always known how you would be treated in the Sound Village, I know how promising it seems, but Rusuta think. You're good and kind, you have a spirit I never had, can that spirit live in a Ninja sect where power is all they desire?" she told her daughter giving her back the bandana, "I can't say if he loves you, or whether he just loves your power, but Rusuta, here, we'd love you even if you weren't strong." Rusuta stopped crying and Krysta got up to leave, she looked back for a moment and Rusuta could see she was sad, Krysta left then and Rusuta looked at her bandana.**_

"_**Mother, I am scared, if I go back, then, I'll hurt them, they'll hate me, I'm so scared. I'm not strong enough Mother, I'm just not strong enough," she thought starting to cry again.**_

_**The next morning Koni was well again and was itching to finish the exam, they had barely a day left.**_

"_**I hope Rusuta's ok, he said to Naruto who was getting ready to leave with Jarriya.**_

"_**She'll be fine," smiled Naruto.**_

"_**Where are you going?" asked Koni.**_

"_**I'm going to tell Sakura about Sasuke, then the two of us will go find him and bring him back, now that we've saved Rusuta, I know we can save Sasuke!" said Naruto cheerfully.**_

"_**I'll be there to help to, this could get messy," said Jarriya.**_

"_**Good luck Naruto," said Koni and Naruto and Jarriya waved goodbye before leaving.**_

"_**Hey, you're the guy who saved me aren't you?" Koni heard a girl say, it was Li Li, one of Rusuta's first victims.**_

"_**You're looking well," Koni said seeing her and her sisters together again.**_

"_**Wow what a hunk," swooned Mi Mi.**_

"_**Get a grip Mi Mi," sighed Si Si. Koni laughed a little, he was glad they were ok.**_

"_**Where's that Rusuta girl, we've heard what happened, and we just want to say we're sorry," said Li Li.**_

"_**She's resting, but I'm just going to go wake her up, you three can talk to her then if you want?" he told them but suddenly Velia ran out of the fort.**_

"_**Brother Rusuta's gone!" she cried.**_

"_**What? Not again!" he cried worried.**_

"_**Don't worry," said Krysta appearing, she still looked sad, "I was expecting this, I knew she couldn't face going home feeling like she is right now."**_

"_**I'll go find her," said Koni.**_

"_**Koni, there's nothing you can do, this is her choice," said Krysta sadly showing him her Leaf Village bandana, she'd left it behind. Koni shook his head defiantly and ran into the forest. **_

_**Koni followed his feelings and before long came to a part of the forest where a clean glistening lake surrounded by rocks was. Rusuta was sitting on one of the rocks and she seemed to be crying.**_

"_**Rusuta, thank goodness I found you," said Koni going over to her.**_

"_**Stay away from me!" she screamed somewhat angrily.**_

"_**What's wrong? It's just me?" worried Koni looking down on her, she was looking at her reflection in the lake but her hair fell in front of her face marring her view.**_

"_**Rusuta, come on now, what's wrong?" he said calmer and she looked at him, she looked sad and frustrated, she was angry he'd found her in time.**_

"_**I can't find him, not even by Projection, I can't find him!" she told him sadly.**_

"_**Who?" wondered Koni.**_

"_**My father!" she screamed at him distraught.**_

"_**Rusuta why are you trying to find him? He tried to make you destroy your mother, try to kill me," he asked her not understanding.**_

"_**Because I can't go back, I can't go back to the Leaf Village, I can never go back, not now, never," she sobbed bitterly.**_

"_**Why? Why Rusuta, nothing's changed, why can't you go home? Umani's gone Rusuta, our parents killed him, there's no reason to go back to your father, please just tell me why you want to leave?" he asked her kneeling with her.**_

"_**How can you say nothing's changed? After everything I've done, what I've become, I need blood to survive Koni, I can never eat normal food again, I'm not normal any more, I'm just like mother and if that wasn't frightening enough, I'm poisonous, Koni every time I drink, I'll kill someone, someone I might not mean to, my venom is too dangerous. I'm not like mother, I'm worse, I'm even more deadly than she is and I don't want to be, but I'm stuck this way! Koni I'm all alone, if I go back, I'll hurt so many people, when we first arrived there everyone was afraid of me, just because of how I looked, now they'll hate me because I'm nothing more, I'm nothing more…" she trailed off tearfully crying into his chest. Koni heard a splash and looked to see she'd dropped her Sound Village bandana in the water, the water became saturated with red and Koni realised her rune was bleeding, bleeding because she was crying.**_

"_**Nothing more than what?" he asked quietly.**_

"_**A, monster," she sobbed painfully.**_

"_**Rusuta, you're not, you know you're not," he tried to comfort her.**_

"_**I am, I am, everyone was right, I am, my cursed blood, my freakish looks, I've tried to prove I wasn't but I am, I am! I am a monster, I am, I am!" she cried harder.**_

"_**So, you finally admit it?" Koni heard a voice say, on the other side of the lake sitting on a rock was Sasuke, he looked like he was enjoying Rusuta's mental breakdown.**_

"_**Sasuke," glared Koni holding Rusuta closer to him to protect her.**_

"_**Oh don't get protective Varundo Jr. I'm not here to attack," scoffed Sasuke sarcastically before laughing.**_

"_**You think this is funny! You think I'm funny, you watch, you get close enough you'll feel my venom!" screamed Rusuta seeing him.**_

"_**Shut up you spoiled little brat," glared Sasuke, "I didn't think Umani's defeat would be the last I heard of this crazy custody battle and it seems I was right, here you are sobbing your poor little venom filled heart out finally realising what I told you and your even more freakish mother all your life is and has always been true. I can't say I'm not disappointed."**_

"_**You helped us get her out of the Sound Ninja encampment, you helped us save her, why now to you turn cold again Sasuke! Is there no warmth in your heart, just ice and hate, why do you hate us so much!" yelled Koni.**_

"_**That's my business you want a history lesson go ask Krysta, as for you Rusuta, stop crying that you're lost and alone, you know you're not. If you want to find Orochimaru so badly then follow me, I'll take you back," said Sasuke.**_

_**Rusuta looked up startled and pulled away from Koni a little, Sasuke looked like he was glaring at her hatefully but Rusuta thought she saw something else. She knew Sasuke was too proud to ever admit he cared about what happened to her and her family but she knew he did care, she'd known ever since the day she'd promised to show him she wasn't an evil thing like he thought, if Koni was telling the truth about her rescue, why now would he lead her back to the very evil he had helped save her from?**_

"_**You would take me home, back to my father?" asked Rusuta hopeful.**_

"_**If that's what you want princess, I know Orochimaru promised that if you lived there one day he would leave you his entire empire. However I know the real reason you want to go, it's not for that, it's not for your father, it's because no one in the Sound Village will ever call you a monster, will never shy away from you, will never show fear, all because you're his precious flower," he glared at her.**_

"_**Is that it, is that the real reason Rusuta, is he right," said Koni sounding angry, Rusuta looked at him and he pushed her towards Sasuke.**_

"_**You want to go back to that evil man, and leave those who truly love you behind, just so you won't have to face the taunting, so that no one will ever tell you they're afraid of you or that they hate you for being what you are, you think they'll accept you there!" he shouted at her angrily Rusuta looked scared.**_

"_**How can you be like this, I'm scared Koni, I'm so afraid!" she cried at him.**_

"_**That's never stopped you before, that's never made you take the easy road, you've always been stronger than that!" he told her.**_

"_**I'm not, I'm not Koni, I'm not strong enough, I'm not! My venom, I almost killed you! How can you want to make me live around those for whom my venom is the stuff of nightmares!" she yelled at him.**_

"_**Because I love you! Because I don't want to see you being forced to attack anyone ever again, because I want you to be free!" he replied and Rusuta looked at him calmer but still sad, "Rusuta, you might think that the Sound Ninja will hail you as a princess, and will never be like the people in the Leaf Village who yes may run and hide the moment you step into a room. But, that will all just be to your face, behind your back they'll still be that same as the Leaf Ninja, they'll snigger and curse and hate you because they're scared too, but they're more scared of their leader and seeing him I don't blame them. Look at Sasuke Rusuta! Why would he go to Orochimaru if he weren't scared of something himself, all there is in the Sound Village is fear, even if it's just who the Ninja used to be, before he found them, and manipulated them, will you let him manipulate you Rusuta, will you run away and hide. You'll never be alone there Rusuta, but you'll never be free, you leave and this time it's for keeps, you'll never be able to come back. Rusuta, that's my worst fear, that I'll lose you and never be able to get you back, but I can't run away from that fear, otherwise you will be lost, I'm going to stand right here, and I'll face my fear, and I'll defeat Sasuke and Orochimaru, and I'll even knock you out to drag you home, because I won't run from my fear, I'll stop it," he told her powerfully.**_

"_**Koni, I," said Rusuta hiding under her hair moved by his words, then Sasuke started clapping arrogantly.**_

"_**A noble speech Koni, you going to back it up," he laughed.**_

"_**Don't tempt me Sasuke!" growled Koni.**_

"_**I'm afraid I am running out of time here, so let me make this simple, I'm offering to take you home Rusuta, there's just one thing I want you to do," he glared evilly and Rusuta looked at him puzzled.**_

"_**Tell me, tell me to my face that you're a monster admit it fully, go on, you just told him, surely you can tell me," he sneered moving to stand in front of her. Rusuta didn't say anything but Sasuke continued to taunt her.**_

"_**Go on, admit it, you're a monster, a freak, and your mother's a monster and a freak and all your kind!" he yelled at her before Rusuta had enough and grabbed his wrist throwing him into the lake angrily.**_

"_**I'm not a monster Sasuke! Not my mother, not me, not my kind! We're not monsters!" she screamed Koni smiled happily.**_

"_**You're back!" he laughed happily and Sasuke stood up coughing and spluttering on the water.**_

"_**I knew you couldn't do it," he coughed and Rusuta calmed down and glared at him hatefully.**_

"_**Sasuke, you're wrong, you're wrong you have to be," she told him.**_

"_**You just remember that, cause if I ever catch you in the Sound Village, I'll know I'm right," he smiled cockily.**_

"_**I'll never let that happen," glared Rusuta and Sasuke went to leave.**_

"_**Oh and Koni, by the way, I'm not scared of anything," said Sasuke disappearing into the trees.**_

"_**You gave me a real fright there," smiled Koni and Rusuta laughed nervously, "I thought you were actually serious."**_

"_**I was Koni," she said shyly.**_

"_**You were?" asked Koni.**_

"_**Yes but, Koni I know he's bad, but he's still my father, I can't change that, I can't help wanting to make him proud like mother. Koni these past days I've heard the words, I love you, said to me more than my whole life is worth, those words made me so happy but, but when you said it, just now, that's the first time, that's the first time I actually believed it," she explained smiling trying not to tear up again.**_

"_**I was being serious too you know?" he told her and Rusuta walked up and hugged him.**_

"_**Rusuta?" he gasped surprised.**_

"_**I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything, I'm so ashamed of how I've acted, you must think I'm a child for carrying on like this," she said sadly.**_

"_**It's ok, you were just confused, it's alright," he comforted her, "let's just go back now, your mother's worried about you." Rusuta looked at him and nodded and Koni let her go.**_

"_**Koni, thanks. We're a team right, always?" she said to him.**_

"_**No doubt about it," he laughed happily.**_

"_**Koni, if I ever forget that again, you just bring me right back into line ok?" she giggled.**_

"_**Yes ma'am," smiled Koni and Rusuta went back to the pool and retrieved her bandana.**_

"_**Memory," she said showing him before folding it away. Then Rusuta took hold of Koni's hand and said,**_

"_**Let's get back, we have an exam to finish!" **_

_**Krysta was sitting on a tree stump waiting for Koni to return alone, she was sure Rusuta was long gone and so was very surprised when she saw them running back together.**_

"_**Rusuta?" cried Krysta amazed seeing her, Rusuta ran up to her mother and hugged her apologetically.**_

"_**I'm sorry," she told her letting go.**_

"_**You came back, I thought, oh Rusuta I'm so glad you're back," said Krysta showing more emotion now than Rusuta had ever seen. Jivana and Varundo came over then they were happy to see Rusuta too.**_

"_**Rusuta," smiled Jivana seeing her.**_

"_**I'm sorry I worried everyone," she said sincerely.**_

"_**Rusuta it's ok, you can stop apologising," laughed Koni.**_

"_**That's right!" snapped Krysta suddenly, everyone looked at her alarmed, "You have an exam to finish young lady!"**_

"_**But we don't have enough time to find another Ninja Team to get the key off of?" worried Koni.**_

"_**And Umani's key must've been destroyed in the battle?" worried Rusuta.**_

"_**You mean this?" said Varundo revealing a piece of yellow coloured glass in the shape of a sun.**_

"_**You guy's have a key?" said Rusuta.**_

"_**Of course, we were playing enemies after all," glared Jivana arrogantly.**_

"_**But a three on two fight isn't exactly fair, hmm, Varundo why don't you hold the key and call the match, Jivana it's you and me," smiled Krysta evilly going over to her friend.**_

"_**Ok Krysta, I'll stand over here, Velia come here a sec," said Varundo standing aside with his little daughter.**_

"_**We're going to fight you mother, but what about my?" worried Rusuta worried about her venom.**_

"_**Forget I'm your mother will you, you need a rejump-start in your fighting attitude!" said Krysta unleashing her whip focused.**_

"_**Besides, that's what Velia's for," giggled Jivana brandishing her chakrams.**_

"_**They leave us no choice Rusuta," said Koni standing beside her and winking.**_

"_**I guess not Koni," giggled Rusuta letting her whip loose.**_

"_**Begin!" cried Varundo.**_

_**Jivana's chakrams started to spark with electricity before she threw them at Koni and Rusuta, the two nimble teens jumped out of the way only for them to seemingly jump straight into the path of Krysta's deadly whip, they really weren't playing around. Koni enacted his Sen Blade and Rusuta span up a storm with her own whip, the dust sandstorm however did little to deter her mother who simply swiped through it completely destroying it.**_

"_**They're not making this easy," smiled Koni.**_

"_**I don't think they would even if we weren't their children," giggled Rusuta cheering up.**_

"_**Jivana, let's show them one of our favourite moves, it's been a while since we did it," smiled Krysta straightening her whip until it looked like a sword.**_

"_**Good idea," chuckled Jivana spinning her electric chakrams fiercely. Suddenly Krysta threw her whip blades into the air and as the electricity sparked over the blades they turned to ice and became a fully sealed Ice Blade. The electricity of the chakrams grew further until they span by themselves as a perpetual energy ball, Jivana threw the ball and Krysta threw her blade javelin like into it. The two attacks fused together and went straight for Koni and Rusuta. Koni grabbed Rusuta and helped her leap out of the way but the two weapons merely returned to their owners in order to strike again.**_

"_**They, they can combine their powers, too cool," said Koni amazed.**_

"_**I never knew mother could do that, I've never seen her blade turn to ice before," said Rusuta.**_

"_**If we had Varundo's Flame Sword that attack would be three times as powerful," taunted Krysta.**_

"_**Dad too?" wondered Koni.**_

"_**They fight as a team but, like really as a team, that attack is all of them put together, how can they do it?" worried Rusuta standing up Krysta glared at her evilly.**_

"_**I'll make you a deal Rusuta, if you can figure out how to perform the combo I'll give you the key there and then, if you can't you will have to try and defeat us without that power, and that might take a while. You have only a few hours before the exam ends and you both won't have qualified, I'd be quick," she said bracing with her whip again.**_

"_**Mother's right Koni, we can't defeat her," said Rusuta.**_

"_**You sure, you are more powerful than her," said Koni.**_

"_**I'm not as fast, or as experienced, besides I can't be more powerful if I can't perform that move," replied Rusuta and she and Koni had to scatter again and Jivana and Krysta moved in to attack again.**_

_**Rusuta blocked her mother's attacks and tried to counter with her own but she wasn't having much effect.**_

"_**Maybe I should just summon Homaru, like I did before," she wondered.**_

"_**I think you can do this without doing that," said Homaru.**_

"_**But how, how can I do the combo?" worried Rusuta blocking and countering her mother's blade.**_

"_**Watch Krysta and Jivana's movements, you'll see the link," said Homaru. Rusuta stopped for a moment and Krysta stopped too, she watched in the background as Jivana continued to fight with Koni. Rusuta noticed something, only one of Krysta's runes was sparking; the other two were merely glowing. The rune on her left hand was very fierce and Jivana's was flaring like crazy. Rusuta leapt at her mother and the rune on her chest sparked up as she defended herself.**_

"_**Could it be? Left for Jivana and the middle rune for her own power? Then the right rune is for Varundo, mother can control their powers?" wondered Rusuta backing away again, suddenly Koni crashed into her and the two became pinned by some trees.**_

"_**Any idea's I'd love to hear them," said Koni.**_

"_**Koni, I think I know how they do it, but I only have one rune, I can only control my power?" she said still in her train of thought.**_

"_**I don't know what you're talking about but I think our moms are fixing to make sushi out of us if we don't figure this out," worried Koni. Rusuta looked at him, his rune was flaring the same as hers was and it gave her an idea.**_

"_**The Star ripped my mother's body apart, when the three woke up mother had two runes and Jivana and Varundo only had one each, she couldn't control her own power but was able to control theirs, that means," she thought to herself before crying out, "I'm sorry if this hurts Koni!" Koni looked at her surprised before Rusuta plunged her right hand onto Koni's flaring chest rune, Koni cried out in pain.**_

"_**What are you doing Rusuta!" he cried. Rusuta struggled and slowly brought her hand away, she looked like she'd been burned by a fire as her hand glowed a painful red but then began to cool away. Once the glow was gone a new glimmering rune could be seen on her right wrist.**_

"_**Another rune, I did it!" she said happily.**_

"_**What did you do, that hurt Rusuta," he worried hoping he wouldn't bleed again.**_

"_**Impressive," smiled Krysta flicking her hair arrogantly, "still, can you use it?"**_

"_**I can!" cried Rusuta but no matter what she tried the new rune wouldn't flare, "Oh no."**_

_**Krysta and Jivana attacked again and Rusuta tried in vein to power up her new rune, Koni was still able to use his and she couldn't understand what had gone wrong. Suddenly Krysta and Jivana powered up their combo attack again but just before they started Rusuta noticed something, Krysta touched her chest rune before Jivana's chakrams could reach full power.**_

"_**It can't work alone, it needs my power too, you'd think it'd already have that," sighed Rusuta to herself standing with Koni.**_

"_**Rusuta, if that thing hits us we're sunk," said Koni tiredly.**_

"_**Don't worry I think I've got it," smiled Rusuta bringing her hands together as if forming a hand sign.**_

"_**Frigid Lightning Jutsu!" cried Jivana and Krysta and the attack came flying towards them.**_

"_**Rusuta!" cried Koni worried.**_

"_**Plasma Fusion Jutsu!" cried Rusuta and her wrist rune sparked wildly giving the new rune some of it's power and causing it to react with the original rune, the power surge created a temporary barrier which deflected Krysta and Jivana's move. When the light dimmed Krysta could see her daughter now had two fully active runes.**_

"_**What now?" she asked her jokingly.**_

"_**I have a pretty good idea," smiled Rusuta. Rusuta's new rune glowed and her whip turned back into a glowing red sash, she took one end with her new runed hand and placed the end to Koni's rune, his rune sparked and the sash seemed to attach. Then in the sudden dance flurry Rusuta used the rest of the sash to create what looked like a longbow.**_

"_**Koni place your sword in the middle of the bow," said Rusuta and though painfully confused Koni proceeded to do so. The sword flashed red and turned into a glowing red arrow like spear.**_

"_**This is amazing Rusuta!" cried Koni happily.**_

"_**Plasma Bow Attack!" Rusuta cried letting the arrow fly straight at Jivana and Krysta.**_

"_**It's a direct hit Rusuta!" cried Koni happily.**_

_**Rusuta watched as an explosion was created by the impact but then as the dust cleared Krysta was standing strong with her hand out in front of her, she'd blocked it completely.**_

"_**No way!" cried Rusuta as she and Koni unattached.**_

"_**Krysta?" said Jivana amazed she was able to hold off the attack. Krysta put down her arm and looked at Rusuta as if she was mad, then she smiled and started to laugh happily.**_

"_**I knew you could do it!" she laughed.**_

"_**We did it Koni!" cried Rusuta high fiving her partner.**_

"_**Yes, you did," smiled Krysta taking the key from Varundo and walking over to them. Krysta gave Rusuta the key and smiled at her proudly.**_

"_**Rusuta, you have performed an attack that is only available to our kind, no other rival will be able to do this. I'm sure you already understand but you see now how it is we Blood Creed are always connected to one another. The feeling between you and Koni was strong enough to create that incredible attack and Koni, you must trust Rusuta with all of your heart, or else she would have been unable to create the new rune. Of course this move will be useless in the single fights but, well at least you now have it together. You must hurry now, use the key and the map to find the Tower and make it before sunset," she told them.**_

"_**Mother, I," said Rusuta happily but Koni dragged her away.**_

"_**Come on Rusuta," he laughed running off with her.**_

"_**Krysta, there is no secret to our combo is there?" said Jivana suspiciously.**_

"_**I thought we were all just training one day and we thought it was a cool idea?" said Varundo and Krysta laughed.**_

"_**That is all ours is, but Rusuta needed an identity boost, plus that attack was a lot more to do with the connection between her and Koni than between the three of us. Rusuta needed to see for herself just what good her power can do and to be honest I think my little experiment showed a great tap of Blood Creed potential we ourselves should pursue," said Krysta.**_

"_**Oh Krysta," laughed Jivana happily.**_

"_**Yay, big brother and sister go boom!" cheered Velia childishly.**_

"_**Sister?" wondered Krysta.**_

"_**That's what Velia calls Rusuta, she always has," giggled Jivana and Kumico came over.**_

"_**Now that this business is taken care of, Krysta I think I have some information about that control spell used on you and Rusuta," he said, Krysta looked worried.**_

"_**I thought you might, it's very old huh?" she said.**_

"_**The original text that you wrote down from what little you remember is a type of Yulikan dating from over five-hundred years ago, the earliest known records of our kind. Over the centuries before the Great Sealing Yulikas evolved into the modern ones that you and I can read, but by then it was only the priests using them as modern language had been introduced to aide the spies," said Kumico.**_

"_**Then how is it Orochimaru learned it?" asked Jivana.**_

"_**The only way is to have read it out of a parchment containing the spell, as we are the only Blood Creed left he didn't get it by word of mouth. Still that would mean finding a scroll over five hundred years old and then actually being able to read and understand what he'd found. Orochimaru is smart, but this is beyond something even he should be able to accomplish. Especially since all of Yukusha's tomes were destroyed with Yukusha," replied Kumico.**_

"_**Not all of them Kumico," said Krysta looking worried again, "my parents kept The Scroll of Meaning with them, and I took it to Yukusha before it was sealed away again."**_

"_**I see, that enchanted scroll may indeed have held secret knowledge of our early times," thought Kumico.**_

"_**But we got you out, and the Star, but we didn't save the scroll, wouldn't it just have been destroyed?" said Varundo.**_

"_**There's only one way to know," said Krysta and the others nodded before heading back to the Leaf Village.**_

_**Rusuta and Koni ran through the forest as fast as they could using the new revealed dot on the map, made visible by the glass, and Rusuta's projection power to avoid getting lost, finally the forest vegetation just seemed to stop and a huge clearing lay before them with a tall thin stone tower rising into the heavens above them.**_

"_**We, we made it," panted Koni.**_

"_**Halt!" they heard a cry and two Leaf Ninja appeared before them.**_

"_**We've made it right, we're in time?" said Rusuta noticing the changing colour of the sky.**_

"_**Do you have the key?" said one of them.**_

"_**Yes, here it is," said Rusuta showing them. The two Ninja nodded and turned to the tower.**_

"_**Follow us," they said.**_

"_**Must be one last test or something," whispered Koni and they followed the two men. They were brought into a room full of chests they were all identical.**_

"_**You two are the last we'll let through here so your jobs harder than the others," said one of them.**_

"_**That Key will open just one chest and then it will disappear, inside the right one are your passes into the Final Exam Tournament, all you have to do is find it," said the second.**_

"_**What if we get the wrong one?" asked Koni worried.**_

"_**Simple kid, you don't pass," laughed the first one.**_

"_**No way, after everything we've done," sighed Koni.**_

"_**Don't worry, we'll get it right, I know we will," said Rusuta going up to the chests. She looked around but there appeared to be absolutely no way to tell them apart, they were all grey, made of wood and each had the same shape of indentation on the clasp of the lock.**_

"_**They're completely identical?" Rusuta worried a little.**_

"_**Maybe the way to tell them apart is hidden, like the vanishing jutsu on the exam papers?" said Koni. Rusuta looked at the chest's through the glass, other than tinting her vision nothing changed.**_

"_**Not even the key can help," sighed Rusuta.**_

"_**How did you see the questions?" asked Koni.**_

"_**I used my blood," said Rusuta, "Homaru did the rest."**_

"_**I don't think it was Homaru," smiled Koni taking the glass and slitting his finger with it. What little blood appeared he spread over the glass and then tried to look through it, at first nothing appeared.**_

"_**What are you doing?" asked Rusuta.**_

"_**You can learn a new move or two, I thought I'd try my hand," he said making his rune flare up. The blood on the glass glowed a little and Koni could see a faint glowing on one of the chests in the corner through the glass.**_

"_**I think I can see something, this trick really works," he smiled.**_

"_**Are you sure, we only have one chance," said Rusuta.**_

"_**You're going to have to trust me on this, I swear I can see a glow from the lock on the chest in the corner," said Koni pointing, the two went over to it but Rusuta was nervous.**_

"_**Koni think, are you sure it's not one of the others, are you sure it's right?" she worried and he smiled at her.**_

"_**I trust you don't I? You're mom said I had to for you to have made that amazing bow, have a little faith in me, ok Rusuta? I know I'm right, I did exactly what you did and I can see the glow from this lock. Trust me?" he asked her and Rusuta smiled back positively.**_

"_**I trust you," she said and Koni bent down and put the key in the lock, it fitted, now Koni had to do was open the chest.**_

"_**Give me your hand, we should open this together," said Koni placing Rusuta's hand on the chest too.**_

"_**Ready? One, two…" he said.**_

"_**Three!" she cried together throwing open the chest. A smoke bomb exploded barring the contents from their view but as it cleared Rusuta and Koni were overjoyed to see three scrolls inside.**_

"_**Well done, you passed!" cheered the two Leaf Ninja and Koni took the scrolls out and gave one to Rusuta.**_

"_**We did it Rusuta!" he cried happing.**_

"_**Oh Koni you're wonderful!" laughed Rusuta happily throwing herself into hugging him. Suddenly Rusuta kissed Koni and he felt very surprised.**_

"_**Rusuta, Rusuta you," he stammered as she let go of him.**_

"_**Because I love you Koni, this whole thing, I've learned I haven't ever been able to be away from you for even a moment, we've been more than friends from the very beginning, you've always been there and taken care of me, even when I didn't realise you were only trying to keep me from destroying myself. We came into this forest only caring about passing a silly exam, I put nothing before that, if I'd have just told mother sooner that I was ill, then maybe," she said starting to sound regretful but Koni kissed her back.**_

"_**Don't regret this test Rusuta, it made me realise just how much I always cared for you. Now we have a chance to go into the final set of this exam and beat everyone we can, but it doesn't matter what happens because we've got each other. We always had each other, it just took Umani to make us realise that," he told her.**_

"_**Umani's dead isn't he," sighed Rusuta looking at the third scroll.**_

"_**Mom told me he was crushed by a tree, then Homaru finished him off with his own venom," he told her.**_

"_**Then I guess we have no use for this," replied Rusuta handing it to one of the Ninja, "out in the forest under some trees is a dead male ninja, this was to be his, make sure you bury it with him."**_

_**Rusuta and Koni then left the tower and started back towards the Leaf Village. Suddenly Rusuta started to laugh childishly and looked at Koni cunningly.**_

"_**No, no Rusuta, come on," worried Koni.**_

"_**Catch me Koni!" she laughed happily dashing into the trees.**_

"_**Rusuta! Come back!" cried Koni running off after her.**_


End file.
